single out
verb
singled out; singling out; singles out
: to treat or to speak about (someone or something in a group) in a way that is different from the way one treats or speaks about others
The coach singled out the players who played poorly.
The reviewer singled her performance out for praise/criticism.
—often used as (be) singled outShe was singled out for special treatment.
Examples of single out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In a separate opinion this week, the Supreme Court singled out the Federal Reserve as an exception to its otherwise sweeping rollback of protections for independent agencies.
—
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2026
The oral warning did not come with any formal discipline or fines for the players and was not meant to single out the content of the message, according to MLB.
—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
27 June 2026
In a symbolic gesture, Senate Republicans took another vote on the Iran war Wednesday night, flipping two senators Trump singled out at the lunch for siding with Democrats.
—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
25 June 2026
The network also has argued that it was being singled out while radio talk shows, dominated by conservative voices, are not subject to the FCC’s same scrutiny.
—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for single out
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.
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2026
The oral warning did not come with any formal discipline or fines for the players and was not meant to single out the content of the message, according to MLB.
—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
27 June 2026
In a symbolic gesture, Senate Republicans took another vote on the Iran war Wednesday night, flipping two senators Trump singled out at the lunch for siding with Democrats.
—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
25 June 2026
The network also has argued that it was being singled out while radio talk shows, dominated by conservative voices, are not subject to the FCC’s same scrutiny.
—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for single out
Cite this Entry
“Single out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/single%20out. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
