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
Political theorists like James Tulley distinguish between civil views of citizenship, focused on what government does, and civic views of citizenship, including deliberation and public work that citizens do together.
—
Harry Boyte, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
Over the years, the Boca Raton location distinguished itself by leaning heavily into social media.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Black ice is difficult to see and distinguish from dry surfaces.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2026
The diamond quilt pattern and contrasting corduroy collar will distinguish it from your other light layers.
—Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distinguish
Harry Boyte, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
Over the years, the Boca Raton location distinguished itself by leaning heavily into social media.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Black ice is difficult to see and distinguish from dry surfaces.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2026
The diamond quilt pattern and contrasting corduroy collar will distinguish it from your other light layers.
—Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distinguish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguish
Verb
-
These are placed in P6 cell culture dishes and differentiated by an orbital shaker.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
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Younger siblings often play more dangerous sports, research shows, as a way to differentiate themselves.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Critics including Sacramento State students have at times characterized Wood as focused too closely on university athletics at the expense of academics, while Wood has repeatedly touted FBS promotion as a worthwhile investment.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
15 Feb. 2026
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The affordability crisis characterized by rising rents, stagnant wages and a shortage of affordable housing is driving instability, homelessness and longer commutes.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Models require extensive training to enable them to identify everyday objects to interact with, which means that simple tasks like picking up fruit can be challenging in robotics.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Only one body was identified by a family, while the others were buried on Friday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The new law will give the California attorney general earlier access to federal HSR merger filings, so the office will have more time to review and challenge anticompetitive mergers and give businesses earlier notice to address any potential concerns, according to Umberg’s office.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
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The reversal drew little public attention, and few outside the UK noticed any change.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The case is the first time the Justice Department has attempted to classify critical speech from prominent Trump detractors as a crime.—
Jeremy Roebuck,
Washington Post,
13 Feb. 2026
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Commercial prediction markets have resisted efforts by states to classify and regulate them as gambling companies, insisting that they — like their precursor in Iowa — should be overseen by federal regulators.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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An iconic house built in 1963 by renowned architect John Harvey Carter is available off market, offering discerning buyers a rare chance to acquire one of the Sacramento area’s most exceptional mid-century modern homes.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
7 Feb. 2026
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For now, investors haven’t seemed to be so discerning.—
Bernard Goyder,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Recent grocery store closures have rocked the north side of Milwaukee, where growing food deserts – areas where quality food is difficult to find – have left entire neighborhoods without ready access to food.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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For his courtroom outbursts, Davis found Thompson in contempt of court and added a little more than four and a half years to his sentence.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In one of several photos included in the 3 million new Epstein files, Mountbatten-Windsor is seen kneeling on all fours over an unidentified woman on the ground.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
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During the Super Bowl halftime show, the casita made an appearance again, and this time, the world would see its interior for the first time.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguish. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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