1
as in emblem
a device, design, or figure used as an identifying mark
that ensign of tutorial authority, the hickory stick
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2
as in flag
a piece of cloth with a special design that is used as an emblem or for signaling
fittingly, the organization promoting the welfare of marine life features a dolphin on its ensign
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ensign
Worse still, scans show portions of Gamble’s brain have died, which sends the ensign into a panic.
—
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2025
My dad was an ensign on the USS Pensacola for three years, three months and three days in the South Pacific.
—Jim Martin, Denver Post, 26 May 2025
Othello star Jake Gyllenhaal’s backstage home-away-from-home in Broadway’s Barrymore theater is an extension of the Shakespearean world he’s been steeped in while developing his version of Iago, the duplicitous ensign to the titular Venetian army general played by Denzel Washington.
—Charlotte Collins, Architectural Digest, 24 Mar. 2025
Usually the obscure one is Othello’s ensign, Iago.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ensign
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2025
My dad was an ensign on the USS Pensacola for three years, three months and three days in the South Pacific.
—Jim Martin, Denver Post, 26 May 2025
Othello star Jake Gyllenhaal’s backstage home-away-from-home in Broadway’s Barrymore theater is an extension of the Shakespearean world he’s been steeped in while developing his version of Iago, the duplicitous ensign to the titular Venetian army general played by Denzel Washington.
—Charlotte Collins, Architectural Digest, 24 Mar. 2025
Usually the obscure one is Othello’s ensign, Iago.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ensign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ensign
Noun
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Chaiwalas, or street tea venders, have long been taken as emblems of the small-scale entrepreneurialism by which uneducated Indians can gain subsistence, and, in theory, something more.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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While the Tennessee Titans already shed their former colors and logos before the NFL Draft, with an entire event to showcase their new threads and emblem, the Rams are keeping their changes much more lowkey.—
Tyler Erzberger,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Unlike Apollo, which focused on fast flags and footprints in a breakneck race against the Soviet Union, Artemis is striving for a sustainable moon base elaborate enough to satisfy even the most hard-core science fiction fans.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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The Baltimore design reflects that identity, blending Maryland flag colors with deeper design elements meant to mirror the city’s personality.—
Michael Howes,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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During the 2002 World Cup, fans across Africa celebrated Senegal’s upset victory over defending champion France, its former colonizer, as a symbol of liberation.—
Albert Samaha,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
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Central to the story is Noah’s promise to Allie to one day restore a white house with blue shutters—an act that becomes a lasting symbol of devotion and attention to detail.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The school has banners and big names to prove its hockey pedigree, though the real evidence lies with a man called Rooster.—
John Lauritsen,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Goldberg will serve as executive producer alongside longtime collaborator Tom Leonardis under their One Ho Productions banner.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The doughnut is finished with a cookies-and-creme-flavored buttercream dollop and a red chevron nod to the NASA logo.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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From that moment through the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory, the city has cycled through slogans and logos — but keeps coming back to the heart, including in the upcoming World Cup.—
Dan Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ensign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ensign. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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