1
as in compares
to describe as similar
he generally likened a root canal to some horrible form of torture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in identifies
to regard or represent as equal or comparable
I think that we can liken the two pianists, at least in terms of natural talent
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 likens
In the article, Rayport likens the ideal marketing campaign to a virus—one that strikes quickly, costs little, and works effectively.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 May 2026
So naturally, the thought of turning Hypergnosis into an ethical company doesn’t compute, even to a seemingly conscientious person like Harper, who likens Anushka’s vision to buying a jet and asking where the brakes are.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 10 May 2026
So when Frazier likens the present-day Knicks to his championship-winning teams of the 1970s, it shouldn’t be taken lightly.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
Californian winemaker David Coventry, who made the move from Monterrey to Mountain Brook Vineyards in 2022, likens the region to Bordeaux, with Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot thriving alongside the region’s star grape, Petit Manseng.
—Belinda Luksic, Southern Living, 2 May 2026
Looking back, Knight likens the near-romance to a fleeting moment in time.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Balasubramaniyan likens Pindrop’s technology to a spam filter.
—Time Contributors, Time, 27 Apr. 2026
Kalaichandran likens a healthy relationship with your wearable to Goldilocks.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 24 Apr. 2026
SeaWorld likens the experience to the LED room in its Jewels of the Sea attraction that brings to life various shapes and sizes of jellyfish.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026
Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 May 2026
So naturally, the thought of turning Hypergnosis into an ethical company doesn’t compute, even to a seemingly conscientious person like Harper, who likens Anushka’s vision to buying a jet and asking where the brakes are.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 10 May 2026
So when Frazier likens the present-day Knicks to his championship-winning teams of the 1970s, it shouldn’t be taken lightly.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
Californian winemaker David Coventry, who made the move from Monterrey to Mountain Brook Vineyards in 2022, likens the region to Bordeaux, with Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot thriving alongside the region’s star grape, Petit Manseng.
—Belinda Luksic, Southern Living, 2 May 2026
Looking back, Knight likens the near-romance to a fleeting moment in time.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Balasubramaniyan likens Pindrop’s technology to a spam filter.
—Time Contributors, Time, 27 Apr. 2026
Kalaichandran likens a healthy relationship with your wearable to Goldilocks.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 24 Apr. 2026
SeaWorld likens the experience to the LED room in its Jewels of the Sea attraction that brings to life various shapes and sizes of jellyfish.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for likens
Verb
-
This experiment compares how well LLMs and internal medicine doctors do at guessing the diagnosis of patients admitted to the hospital using only the information that was available in the ER.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
The paper compares each modifiable risk factor using a dataset of more than 17,000 middle-aged or older adults from the National Institute of Aging’s wide-ranging Health and Retirement Study.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Critics said the report essentially equates one stand of conservative Christianity to be representative of Christians overall, then construes policy disagreements to be persecution.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
-
Lewkowitz pushed back against the traditional value proposition that equates value with the lowest possible price.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Likens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/likens. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
