as in characteristic
serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group
a novice birder still learning the distinguishing features of various finches
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in differentiating
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in characterizing
to be an important feature of
a collection of recipes distinguished by their ease and simplicity
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in identifying
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 noticing
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 classifying
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
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Recent Examples of distinguishing
Kathryn Romeyn, Architectural Digest, 9 Mar. 2026
Every building has distinguishing characteristics.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 7 Mar. 2026
This, in turn, can lead to overeating, as well as difficulty distinguishing between hunger and fullness cues—essential skills in budding eaters.
—Sally Kuzemchak, Parents, 7 Mar. 2026
But OpenAI can’t weigh in on individual use cases for its technology, Altman said, such as distinguishing which specific military operations might be considered good or bad.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
Tracing the evolution of storytelling from hunter-gatherer campfires and medieval printing presses to VR and AI, Ashton identifies a number of developments that can be expected to carry on into the future, among them the increasing difficulty of distinguishing fact from fiction.
—Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 3 Mar. 2026
Dental records were checked, but there were few distinguishing features to be compared.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Authorities asked anyone who recognizes the clothing worn by the individual, or who can identify any distinguishing characteristics, including the person’s gait, to call the Major Crimes Division at 240-773- 5070 or Crime Solvers of Montgomery County.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Harvard was doing its job of distinguishing me from my parents.
—Lloyd Blankfein, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
But other bolt-holes stand out for giving the beds themselves extra attention, distinguishing them in some particularly charming or even surreal way (see beds carved out of literal ice).
—Kathryn Romeyn, Architectural Digest, 9 Mar. 2026
Every building has distinguishing characteristics.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 7 Mar. 2026
This, in turn, can lead to overeating, as well as difficulty distinguishing between hunger and fullness cues—essential skills in budding eaters.
—Sally Kuzemchak, Parents, 7 Mar. 2026
But OpenAI can’t weigh in on individual use cases for its technology, Altman said, such as distinguishing which specific military operations might be considered good or bad.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
Tracing the evolution of storytelling from hunter-gatherer campfires and medieval printing presses to VR and AI, Ashton identifies a number of developments that can be expected to carry on into the future, among them the increasing difficulty of distinguishing fact from fiction.
—Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 3 Mar. 2026
Dental records were checked, but there were few distinguishing features to be compared.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Authorities asked anyone who recognizes the clothing worn by the individual, or who can identify any distinguishing characteristics, including the person’s gait, to call the Major Crimes Division at 240-773- 5070 or Crime Solvers of Montgomery County.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Harvard was doing its job of distinguishing me from my parents.
—Lloyd Blankfein, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguishing
Adjective
-
Users say taking small doses of psilocybin or LSD does everything from bolster productivity and creativity to ease symptoms of anxiety and insomnia — all without the hallucinogenic effects characteristic of a full-blown trip.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
-
But unlike the desert boot, which features a characteristic crepe sole, chukkas may have leather or rubber soles.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In fact, my emphasis on feeling good about him off the field, or any of those issues, has to do with me not differentiating him from any of the top players.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Younger students learned how produce is grown and practiced differentiating between fruits and vegetables before getting a chance to pick from a variety of items to take home at no cost.—
Del Mar Times,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Albanese had been investigating human rights abuses in Palestinian territories and had started characterizing the Israeli aggression against Palestinians as a genocide.—
Chiara Eisner,
NPR,
17 Mar. 2026
-
So far, lawmakers have been far from receptive to such an idea, with Republicans characterizing the effort as government overreach that would be counter to free-market ideals, one of the officials said.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the recent demonstration, advanced software and unmanned platforms were combined to create a system capable of identifying and responding to electronic signals with minimal human involvement.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Some identifying details about the facility are being withheld at the request of Kurdish military commanders.—
Younes Mohammad,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
With Me is led by Juan Naula, who after moving to Los Angeles and noticing trash in public spaces, used social media to get the word out and invite people to clean up their neighborhoods.—
Staff report,
Daily News,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The car was eventually transferred to a tow yard, where an employee called police after noticing a foul smell emanating from the vehicle.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
An officer wrote a report this week, classifying it as fourth-degree intentional damage to property, after receiving information last month.—
Mara H. Gottfried,
Twin Cities,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The industry says classifying EWA as a loan could have the perverse effect of sending consumers back to higher-cost, risky alternatives such as payday loans or pawn shops by imposing unnecessary restrictions, such as mandatory fees, interest charges and credit reporting requirements.—
Cheryl Winokur Munk,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But his distinctive tattoos and fashion sense helped investigators find him — notably, his sweatshirt, his bronze foamposite sneakers, a large gold ring on his left hand and a distinctive tattoo of a globe on his left arm.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The plant has distinctive foliage and orange blooms that spike up from the leaves.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In children, spotting AKI early is even harder.—
Jyoti Madhusoodanan,
Scientific American,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Seeing even one oarfish near shore is rare, the description noted, and spotting two in the same place is highly unusual.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distinguishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguishing. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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