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as in example
one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like the village's Congregational church could serve as an exemplar of the white clapboard church with a steeple that is a fixture in old New England towns

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun exemplar differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of exemplar are example, ideal, model, and pattern. While all these words mean "someone or something set before one for guidance or imitation," exemplar suggests either a faultless example to be emulated or a perfect typification.

cited Joan of Arc as the exemplar of courage

Where would example be a reasonable alternative to exemplar?

While the synonyms example and exemplar are close in meaning, example applies to a person to be imitated or in some contexts on no account to be imitated but to be regarded as a warning.

children tend to follow the example of their parents

When is ideal a more appropriate choice than exemplar?

Although the words ideal and exemplar have much in common, ideal implies the best possible exemplification either in reality or in conception.

never found a job that matched his ideal

When would model be a good substitute for exemplar?

The synonyms model and exemplar are sometimes interchangeable, but model applies to something taken or proposed as worthy of imitation.

a decor that is a model of good taste

When is it sensible to use pattern instead of exemplar?

The words pattern and exemplar can be used in similar contexts, but pattern suggests a clear and detailed archetype or prototype.

American industry set a pattern for others to follow

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of exemplar By this point in the book’s life, its status as an exemplar of fiction that upends expectations tips the reader off that there’s something unusual about it. Tajja Isen, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2024 Yet in the years since, many of the most popular exemplars of the form have been, to one degree or another, debunked — or at least reframed: A Million Little Pieces, Running With Scissors, Three Cups of Tea. Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2024 Later, once the federal government agreed that, in the matter of public schools, separate was, indeed, unequal, those schools that had once been shining exemplars of academic excellence somehow became the understaffed, underresourced, underequipped institutions Black folks were trying to escape. Andrea Williams, The Tennessean, 26 Apr. 2024 The story of Israel provided the perfect exemplar, a way to couch an outsider’s argument in an insider’s language. Daniel Bergner, The Atlantic, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for exemplar 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exemplar
Noun
  • One night in Mendoza, for example, a team of chefs prepped an asado in the middle of a vineyard while tango performers put on a show.
    Chris Dong, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2025
  • Designers like Mike Amiri, for example, brought vanity to the fore in a collection that looks more worldly than Casablanca and less compromising than recent Tom Ford.
    Julian Randall, Essence, 25 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Maryland mandates that 43% of vehicles sold by Maryland auto dealers be electric in the 2027 model year that starts the summer of 2026.
    David T. Stevenson, Baltimore Sun, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Embed Sustainability Into The Business Model Start by embedding sustainability into your business model.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Among my friends both in the corporeal world and on the internet, Challengers is regarded as a modern classic and a clear choice for one of the ten best films of the year.
    Nate Jones, Vulture, 28 Jan. 2025
  • The first rap album to go platinum, and then the first rap album to go multiplatinum, was driven by the group’s historic collaboration with Aerosmith on a remake of their 1975 classic that helped return the Boston hard rock band to the pop charts.
    Al Shipley, SPIN, 28 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • However, Crayola also provided a few more ideas parents can weave into everyday activities, including: Transforming errands and time standing in line into creative moments.
    Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 23 Jan. 2025
  • And Analysts Work Together As One The most powerful ideas align with the needs of the audience.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • California has long been not just a state but an ideal, a place where things happened that couldn't happen anywhere else.
    Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Pursuing that goal has meant emphasizing seemingly old-fashioned media ideals—neutrality, fidelity, hearing from all sides—in ways that can seem extreme.
    Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Jamie Chung voiced a much different version of the character (Asian-American and living in a ’50s-esque Gotham City) on Batman: Caped Crusader, while Lady Gaga portrayed a more down-to-earth incarnation in Joker: Folie à Deux.
    Christian Holub, EW.com, 16 Jan. 2025
  • Her previous incarnation, the drug lord Manitas del Monte, is reported dead.
    Julian Sancton, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • This is all a manifestation of what economists call the price elasticity of demand.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
  • This is the manifestation of the duality of January 20, 2025.
    Doug Melville, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Not to mention that for right now, the latter completes any all-white winter outfit formula to monochromatic perfection.
    Laura Jackson, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Jordi Fernandez drew up a play for Cam Johnson at the top of the key, and his team executed to near perfection.
    C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near exemplar

Cite this Entry

“Exemplar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exemplar. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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