distinguishes

verb

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

Relevance

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
3
as in identifies
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 notices
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 classifies
to arrange or assign according to type on the exam we were asked to distinguish the specimens by acidity

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 What distinguishes Vacanza in the landscape of luxury niche perfumery is its refusal of escapism as mere fantasy. — Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 Instead of using a human-like face, UMA has equipped the humanoid with a neutral visor that clearly distinguishes it from a person. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 8 July 2026 Market access no longer distinguishes the American offer — capital does. — Daniele Nyirandutiye, semafor.com, 6 July 2026 What distinguishes the Upper Room is its commitment to community. — Blair Crosby, AJC.com, 5 July 2026 Kelce spotlighting Swift’s intelligence A true golden retriever boyfriend distinguishes himself by appreciating his partner’s smarts. — Emma Specter, Vogue, 2 July 2026 What distinguishes Union County from a standard addiction narrative is that Poulter and Centineo are flanked by nonactors, the overall effect hovering somewhere between fiction and nonfiction. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 1 July 2026 What distinguishes American English from its counterpart across the pond? — Literary Hub, 1 July 2026 When we are surrounded by machines that know a lot about a lot of subjects, what really distinguishes people is their desire to work hard and put knowledge to creative effect. — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguishes
  1. differentiates
  2. characterizes
  3. identifies
  4. notices
  5. classifies
  6. sees
  7. ranks
  8. spots
Verb
  • But the scope of AI creators’ inquiry is expanding beyond the humanities and human philosophizing to deeper spiritual questions of what differentiates wisdom from intelligence or factual knowledge from how character is molded.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 29 June 2026
  • In the accessible luxury bridal segment, Olivia Bottega differentiates itself through made-to-order production, customization, convertible designs, and a growing wholesale network that allows brides to experience the collection both online and in bridal salons.
    — Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of differentiates
Verb
  • Resilience characterizes many young basketball players at SCC Dixon said.
    — Nicole Gregory, Oc Register, 25 June 2026
  • Under that view, a taxpayer who actively participates in management should not receive the benefit simply because state law characterizes the interest as a limited partnership interest.
    — Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Definition of characterizes
Verb
  • Michigan, which typically identifies about 50 cases of cyclosporiasis in a year, has reported at least 170 cases, clustered in seven counties, over the past nine days, according to the state’s Department of Health.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
  • And most interestingly, her chyron identifies her as a Freelance Journalist with no further explanation.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 2 July 2026
Definition of identifies
Verb
  • Your analytical eye notices small details that make a big impression, while your modest warmth invites genuine connection without forcing it.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2026
  • When no one owns that decision, certification decays quietly, and the signal stops being reliable long before anyone notices.
    — Jay Limburn, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of notices
Verb
  • The development bank classifies a country as upper-middle-income if its 2025 GNI per capita fell between $4,636 and $14,375.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 3 July 2026
  • The World Health Organization classifies alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, – the same category as tobacco and asbestos.
    — Emma Fenske, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of classifies
Verb
  • Headquartered in China’s eastern Jiangsu province, the company sees advanced packaging as a strategic priority as demand grows for more powerful and efficient chips, the South China Morning Post reported.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 2026
  • Habitat for Humanity ReStore sees higher demand for patio furniture and planters in summer.
    — Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 4 July 2026
Definition of sees
Verb
  • SpaceX now ranks among the world's most valuable public companies.
    — Charlotte Kiang, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
  • Calabria ranks last among Italy’s 20 regions in public healthcare access, according to the health ministry.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
Definition of ranks
Verb
  • Imagine a supply chain agent that checks inventory levels regularly, spots potential shortfalls, keeps a list of alternative suppliers and makes purchases when needed.
    — Greg Pavlik, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • The venue that emphasized cocktails was run by Pearl Street Hospitality, the group behind Denver spots Hudson Hill, Lady Jane and The Wild.
    — Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 25 June 2026
Definition of spots

Browse Nearby Words

distinguished
distinguishes
distinguishing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Distinguishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguishes. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on distinguishes

Nglish: Translation of distinguishes for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All