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model

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adjective

model

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun model differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of model are example, exemplar, ideal, and pattern. While all these words mean "someone or something set before one for guidance or imitation," model applies to something taken or proposed as worthy of imitation.

a decor that is a model of good taste

When could example be used to replace model?

The meanings of example and model largely overlap; however, 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

Where would exemplar be a reasonable alternative to model?

The synonyms exemplar and model are sometimes interchangeable, but exemplar suggests either a faultless example to be emulated or a perfect typification.

cited Joan of Arc as the exemplar of courage

When might ideal be a better fit than model?

The words ideal and model are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ideal implies the best possible exemplification either in reality or in conception.

never found a job that matched his ideal

In what contexts can pattern take the place of model?

Although the words pattern and model have much in common, 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 model
Noun
Just down the road is the 88-room Kimpton Taconic Hotel, in a clapboard-style building modeled after those found across New England. Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 25 Aug. 2025 The office also has a screening room and quiet rooms for people to take breaks, and a pantry modeled after shipping containers that appear in the game. Aman Kidwai, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Choose between a model with a permanent filter made of metal or one that uses paper filters. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025 Patients undergo a CAT scan to show bone placement, and then that scan is entered into a planning software that creates a 3D model of the shoulder. Lauren Giella, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
In October, Los Angeles County’s top prosecutor said the brothers had been model prisoners and recommended that they be resentenced to 50 years to life in prison. Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2024 According to online reports, the buyers are model Olivia Culpo and her San Francisco 49ers husband Christian McCaffrey, who picked up the nearly 3.2-acre spread for $14.5 million. Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 30 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for model
Recent Examples of Synonyms for model
Noun
  • Once fully grown, the medusae spawn a colony and repeat the asexual reproduction process.
    Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
  • To do this, the team designed a special ex vivo system made of gel and collagen—a protein found in the uterine lining—and used embryos donated by people who had completed an assisted reproduction process.
    Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The first was a mannequin's arm wearing the Pixel Watch 4, bolted to a robot arm that moved back and forth.
    Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 20 Aug. 2025
  • The tourism hub is lined with hotels, restaurants, shops and entertainment spots, but the council says lewd messages sprawled across the backsides of storefront mannequins and tongue-in-cheek T-shirts are tarnishing the area’s wholesome image.
    Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Unleashed Creativity and Innovation: Subconscious fears act as restrictions upon creativity; without these, the mind may become fertile ground for innovative ideas and solutions.
    Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
  • The general idea is that Swift drops hints alluding to secret relationships and desires through song lyrics and social media posts.
    Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • That’s given us the familiar staples: button-down blouses, pleated skirts, sleek sneakers, mid-thigh shorts, tanks, and classic tennis dresses.
    Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Hosted in the city of Lyon, the birthplace of the Lumiere brothers, the festival celebrates classic films, and honors iconic directors and actors every year.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • While the master plan of patterning one mature buck and then killing him on opening day is challenging even on great private properties, doing it on public ground is like pulling Excalibur from its stone.
    Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Or consider using a systemic insecticide labeled for use on rose sawfly, says Waltz. Thrips Thrips are miniscule (less than 1mm) pests with slender bodies that are yellow, brown or patterned.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Visiting with Sunshine, a SOUL Harbour of Barrington miniature therapy horse, was Leo Francescatti, 11 months, of Deer Park.
    Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Unfortunately for him, that resulted in a ban from this year's miniatures competition.
    Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The 27-year-old isn’t the best player in the men’s draw—or even the best American—but he’s become a cult figure of sorts at his home Grand Slam.
    Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 28 Aug. 2025
  • This figure also marked the lowest number of homeless veterans counted since the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development first began reporting on veteran homelessness using the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count in 2019.
    Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • For example, Milwaukee Revealed will include an exhibit recreating features of the Schlitz Palm Garden, a real beer hall that opened in 1896.
    Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 30 Aug. 2025
  • The Revolutionary War itinerary, for example, will travel the Hudson River during peak fall foliage and includes stops like West Point, New York; Plymouth, Massachusetts; Newport, Rhode Island and more, while onboard experts can share stories around the conflict.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Model.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/model. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.

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