1
as in to differentiate
to understand or point out the difference in
even at such a young age, he could distinguish the calls of various birds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to characterize
to be an important feature of
a collection of recipes distinguished by their ease and simplicity
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to identify
to find out or establish the identity of
learned at an early age to distinguish the sound of a piano in an orchestra
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to notice
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
could barely distinguish the garden gate through the mist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to classify
to arrange or assign according to type
on the exam we were asked to distinguish the specimens by acidity
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distinguish
Officials: 4 children found dead in the home Other local fire and volunteer agencies joined the effort to distinguish the fire and search for the victims, the press release stated.
—
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
Doctors must distinguish fatty liver disease from hepatitis C, Wilson disease, Reye syndrome, and several other conditions when making a diagnosis.
—Sarah Hudgens, Health, 10 Aug. 2025
The design is distinguished by the sky-high black and white striped sole.
—Luz García, Glamour, 8 Aug. 2025
The human ear can distinguish sounds from 20 Hz on the low end to 20,000 Hz on the high end.
—Julia Forbes, Wired News, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinguish
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
Doctors must distinguish fatty liver disease from hepatitis C, Wilson disease, Reye syndrome, and several other conditions when making a diagnosis.
—Sarah Hudgens, Health, 10 Aug. 2025
The design is distinguished by the sky-high black and white striped sole.
—Luz García, Glamour, 8 Aug. 2025
The human ear can distinguish sounds from 20 Hz on the low end to 20,000 Hz on the high end.
—Julia Forbes, Wired News, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinguish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguish
Verb
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Plastics Strategy as Capital Market Differentiation Global investors are increasingly differentiating between high-risk commodity plastics and resilient specialty applications.—
Trond Arne Undheim,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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These voters are winnable by the party that differentiates itself by refusing to add to our dysfunction.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Flash floods are usually characterized by raging torrents after heavy rains.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
19 Aug. 2025
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While relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been characterized by extreme vitriol for over 30 years, Ibrahim expressed optimism that relations post-Washington could turn a new leaf.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The team also wants to try to identify which hominin made the stone tools found at the site.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
16 Aug. 2025
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The passenger was identified as Sandy Hall, 57, of San Leandro.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Radhi, an Ayurvedic enthusiast, noticed Jay’s sweet tooth was something deeper than an occasional craving.—
Omaid Homayun,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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This mattress is also durable—Dragan noticed that any body imprints pop back quickly, and is hopeful this will hold up for some time.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The lockbox is fireproof and waterproof and Underwriters Laboratory (UL) classified.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Aug. 2025
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The best way to protect yourself from poor air quality is to stay indoors, especially when the Air Quality Index reaches above 101, which is classified as unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.—
Jack Albright,
jsonline.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The cloak represents the emotional intelligence required to discern when to engage and when to protect one's energy.—
Carla D. Thompson Payton,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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Under the current system, neither national security officials nor legal professionals have any way to discern the source of billions of dollars propping up civil suits from behind the curtain.—
Michael Patrick Flanagan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Clarendon Hills found itself in the elimination bracket by virtue of a 16-1 loss Wednesday to the Mountain Region and Nevada State champion from Las Vegas, which improved to 2-0 Saturday with a 5-3 win over the Northwest Region champs from Washington.—
Chuck Fieldman,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Aug. 2025
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Even being found with a Bible can lead to execution, normally with a bullet, sometimes reportedly after torture.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Enquirer reached out to Kings Island following the announcement of the ride's closure to see what would replace Boo Blasters and if the building would be torn down.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
The Enquirer,
13 Aug. 2025
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Anyone who’s hoping to see Byrne reunite with Talking Heads is out of luck.—
Simon Vozick-Levinson,
Rolling Stone,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguish. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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