isolate 1 of 3

Definition of isolatenext
as in hermit
a person who lives away from others interpersonal relationships are very stressful for him, so he lives as a virtual isolate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

isolate

2 of 3

verb

isolate

3 of 3

adjective

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 isolate
Noun
Once their numbers were sufficient, each isolate was exposed to 10 different treatments – compounds, foods, conditions like changes in oxygen. New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2025 By comparison, clear protein is composed of whey protein isolate—a version of whey protein concentrate that has been further refined to remove the fat and carbs, according to Dada. Caroline Tien, SELF, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
The venues in Beijing were mostly empty, and the teams were isolated from each other, subject to daily COVID tests and other inconveniences that put a notable damper on the experience. Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026 Called The Robot of Theseus, or TROT, the machine is designed to help biologists and roboticists isolate biomechanical factors that are difficult to measure in living animals. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for isolate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for isolate
Noun
  • At the same time, she becomes threatened by a minor scandal involving her dopey husband (Jack Lowden), all while dealing with her dysfunctional family, including the serial-cheater father (Woody Harrelson) who reenters her life and a brother (Spike Fearn) who has become something of a hermit.
    Esther Zuckerman, Time, 12 Dec. 2025
  • On Monday morning, well-wishers, many wearing rain-coats, lined the roads behind a metal railing under drizzly skies as his convoy made its way through the winding roads near Beirut to the mountain-top tomb of a 19th century hermit now recognized as Saint Charbel Makhlouf.
    NPR, NPR, 1 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • Carl Sagan's baloney detection kit taught us how to separate good science from the work of charlatans.
    Big Think, Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026
  • His piece of genius separated the sides entering the 84th minute but during a chaotic finale, the hosts conspired to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The White House dismissed such concerns, pointing to isolated incidents of noncitizens being charged with illegally voting, and to examples of duplicate registrations, voters remaining on rolls after death and people stealing ballots to vote multiple times.
    Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
  • The week will remain dry with only isolated shower chances on Friday and Saturday.
    Shane Hinton, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Now in his 40s, Frank has been in prison for almost his whole adult life, spending 17 years in solitary for assaulting two of his fellow inmates.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 25 Jan. 2026
  • Nearly four of those years were spent in solitary at ICE’s Northwest Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, where Daniel died on March 7, 2024, the report says.
    Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The school was poorly funded, riven by gang violence, and deeply segregated by race and class.
    Gioia Woods, Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Not too long ago, in the 1970s, Black neighborhoods were segregated to the south of downtown Phoenix.
    Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The Flynns’ pompous neighbor, Jim Doherty, a divorcé with a withdrawn, unpleasant son, encourages Catherine’s artistic rebirth.
    Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Off-screen, Affleck has a slightly rougher star persona, while Damon’s can be a little more withdrawn and intellectual.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Petrecca was thrust into the commentary role, replacing Auro Bulbarelli, who removed himself after spoiling the surprise arrival of Mattarella aboard one of the city’s trams.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
  • According to him, real-world deployment is a key step to removing the practical and technological bottlenecks that humanoids face today.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • But analyst Frederic Boulan believes that investors use this slump as an opportunity to accumulate those companies with insulated businesses that remain attractive.
    Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
  • The HeatWave Go features a stainless steel reflective insulated cover and an infrared heat lamp tube in its top section, located above a food-grade stainless steel lunch box.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Feb. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Isolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/isolate. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on isolate

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!