as in characteristic
serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group
a novice birder still learning the distinguishing features of various finches
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in differentiating
to understand or point out the difference in
even at such a young age, he could distinguish the calls of various birds
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in characterizing
to be an important feature of
a collection of recipes distinguished by their ease and simplicity
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in identifying
to find out or establish the identity of
learned at an early age to distinguish the sound of a piano in an orchestra
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in noticing
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
could barely distinguish the garden gate through the mist
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5
as in classifying
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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of distinguishing
Taylor Brown, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Researchers say that their discovery has helped tremendously in distinguishing the theropods of this region, which were poorly known before.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 1 Jan. 2025
In times of uncertainty, distinguishing between reliable information and speculation becomes crucial.
—Ian Shepherd, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
As generative AI continues to accelerate, distinguishing between real and fake content online is becoming nearly impossible.
—Steven Smith, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
His administration attracted worldwide praise for distinguishing itself with a firm commitment to international human rights.
—Justin Doom, ABC News, 29 Dec. 2024
Russian speakers in the experiment proved faster than English speakers at distinguishing shades that corresponded to that lexical distinction.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
While the ambitious stories and powerful performances help Farscape stand out in small-screen sci-fi, the most distinguishing aspect is the awesome muppets, courtesy of the Jim Henson Company.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2024
One of the distinguishing frameworks of the Edo period banquet was the presentation of the courses on trays.
—Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024
Verb
This involves distinguishing between the data plane, where information is transferred, and the control plane, which governs processes without directly handling the data itself.
—Taylor Brown, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Researchers say that their discovery has helped tremendously in distinguishing the theropods of this region, which were poorly known before.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 1 Jan. 2025
In times of uncertainty, distinguishing between reliable information and speculation becomes crucial.
—Ian Shepherd, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
As generative AI continues to accelerate, distinguishing between real and fake content online is becoming nearly impossible.
—Steven Smith, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
His administration attracted worldwide praise for distinguishing itself with a firm commitment to international human rights.
—Justin Doom, ABC News, 29 Dec. 2024
Russian speakers in the experiment proved faster than English speakers at distinguishing shades that corresponded to that lexical distinction.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
While the ambitious stories and powerful performances help Farscape stand out in small-screen sci-fi, the most distinguishing aspect is the awesome muppets, courtesy of the Jim Henson Company.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2024
One of the distinguishing frameworks of the Edo period banquet was the presentation of the courses on trays.
—Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguishing
Adjective
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Jefferson’s thinking and behavior is characteristic of U.S. slaveholders prior to the Civil War.Monti Datta, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2025
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Featuring a swirl of pastels, the piece was characteristic of the artist, who is known for colorful, frenetic works that appear abstract but reveal distinct and often explicit figures, when observed closely.Maggie Lange, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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With this approach, grocers can display all store items online, differentiating between those immediately available and those available at a future date.Devadas Pattathil, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
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Many of these startups position themselves as AI search engines centered on scholarly research—each with differentiating product features and target audiences.IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Those images were released as police requested the public's assistance in identifying the man, who fled the train.Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 31 Dec. 2024
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Still, researchers are working on identifying biomarkers in gut bacteria that someday could help tailor decisions on how to use existing therapies — or develop new treatments.Andrea Muraskin, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint Wednesday against the popular Netflix dating show, classifying its stars as employees and accusing the program of several labor violations.Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
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Those deaths aren't counted in our statistics, and that's primarily because of the difficulty in classifying those deaths in a disaster.Melody Schreiber, NPR, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The region's diverse geology and dry climate contribute significantly to its wines’ distinctive characteristics.Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
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Tuxedo cats, like Milo, are not a specific breed but rather felines with a distinctive black-and-white coat pattern resembling formal wear.Lydia Patrick, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Over the past two decades, Delhi has built an expansive metro network of more than 288 stations and 390 kilometres of track, systematically delivering projects in distinct phases.Ankit Mishra, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
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This raises intriguing parallels to studies of Oldowan technology, which have highlighted how modern human ancestors selected specific rocks for tool manufacture based on distinct properties of the rocks, such as their ability to fracture and be resistant to wear.Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The games have been about playing spoiler in the NFC playoff picture and seeing what on this 2024 roster is transferrable to the future.Saad Yousuf, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
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Saint Alphonsus is still seeing some sporadic RSV cases and typical COVID cases for this time of year, Kitamura said.Carolyn Komatsoulis, Idaho Statesman, 5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The remotes support three speed levels: Cine for slower shots, Normal for typical use, and Sport for high-speed performance.PCMAG, PCMAG, 14 Jan. 2025
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But, according to Justin Mankin, a climate scientist at Dartmouth College, rising global temperatures are now detectable in various extreme weather events and many more typical weather patterns.Brittney Melton, NPR, 14 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near distinguishing
Cite this Entry
“Distinguishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguishing. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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