distinguishes

present tense third-person singular of distinguish
1
as in differentiates
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in characterizes
to be an important feature of a collection of recipes distinguished by their ease and simplicity

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 distinguishes Yet what distinguishes Bowles’s work—what animates those strange, angular sentences, with their unexpected rhythms and turns of phrase and rabid energy—isn’t its interest in nonconformity but its obsession with spiritual transformation. Nicole Flattery, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 Innovating Under Constraints What distinguishes Aravind is not merely his technical expertise, but his strategic approach. Nia Bowers, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025 This is the element that distinguishes the Cygnus XL from earlier versions of the Cygnus supply ship. Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025 The lack of division between the stage and audience also distinguishes MindTravel from your typical concert. Anna Haines, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025 The students are delightfully distinct, as is Collette, who once again distinguishes a new intimidating matriarch from all her others. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025 El Secreto de Rosita distinguishes itself from nearby competitors by housing Nabiha, a separate restaurant dedicated to serving Palestinian cuisine. David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 6 Sep. 2025 The comma also distinguishes how an ingredient is measured. Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2025 What distinguishes two states is not closeness to realization or a workable pathway to success but a long record of failure that ended in death, desolation, and despair. Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguishes
Verb
  • What consistently differentiates successful transformations is a disciplined focus on enterprise value, where technology, culture and operations are rewired together rather than in isolation.
    Charisma Glassman, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • But another fast-growing alternative is the SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD), which differentiates itself with an equal-weighting approach to stocks held in its underlying index.
    Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Davey characterizes the Longbow strategy as flexible.
    James Morris, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The title that has become attached to the painting over time curiously characterizes the Virgin Mary by the fruit, perhaps in recognition of her chastity, especially when considered in the context of Persephone’s myth.
    Demir Alp, JSTOR Daily, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • While the Second Circuit decidedly disfavors rehearings en banc, the court identifies several exceptional circumstances where petitions are granted.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • The order identifies 118 new vessels as being part of this shadow fleet.
    Laura Kelly, The Hill, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Consider the first scene of the pilot, in which Issa notices a man on the subway masturbating in her direction and takes justice into her own hands when no one does anything to stop him.
    Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
  • However, Walmart has also trimmed some of its tech jobs in the Bay Area this year, WARN notices the company has filed with the state EDD show.
    George Avalos, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Cook Political Report, which monitors elections nationwide, classifies the race as a pure toss-up.
    Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Forbes classifies Ellison–who bought nearly all of the Hawaiian island Lanai for $300 million in 2012–as a California resident based on his voter registration.
    Ella Malmgren, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Sírio-Libanês sees patients from all over the country and the region in South America – including those who typically cannot afford top-tier medical care.
    Lauren Giella, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
  • In the final scene, Cate wakes up in her hospital bed and sees the dead nurses on the floor, as a result of her powers malfunctioning.
    Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • By stopping in 1957, the retelling falsely relegates educational inequality to the past.
    Time, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
  • But that’s not true of the Echo Show, which smartly relegates the screen to secondary importance.
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 22 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Haaland spots the gap in United’s defence and attacks it, but Reijnders’ pass reaches O’Reilly.
    Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
  • If one employee spots profanity or offensive language in an application, then it is sent to another employee, and possibly moved up the chain.
    Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Distinguishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguishes. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.

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