as in natures
the set of qualities that makes a person, a group of people, or a thing different from others
some believe that it's only in times of great stress that a person's true self is revealed
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Recent Examples of selves
The group grew physically weak, wasting away until there was little left of their corporeal selves but skin and bones.
—
Namir Khaliq, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
This group isn’t going anywhere if those two don’t get back to their usual selves.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Fox also produced movies such as Richard Eyre’s Iris (2001), about author Iris Murdoch and John Bayley starring Kate Winslet and Hugh Bonneville, who portrayed their younger selves, and Dench and Jim Broadbent as the couple in their senior years.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2026
Instead, O’Leary said couples should think small for the sake of their future selves, opting for a civil ceremony and a party afterwards with just a small group of friends.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
The program teaches young runners to pursue their best selves, not by competing against others, but by overcoming their own challenges.
—Michelle Edgar, Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
Our bodies go about their business, but our deeper selves flutter, like those blind moths, into that dim waiting room and linger until some inscrutable opening is granted us to start living again.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
The cast found ways to pay tribute to their on-screen selves through their clothing for the evening.
—Carly Witteman, Vogue, 3 Mar. 2026
The bulk of Dropout’s involvement plot-wise came down to the cast doing caricatures of their comedic selves on the set and during a police lineup, and Reich being inadvertently responsible for the robbery in question via a bad attempt at insurance fraud.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 3 Mar. 2026
Namir Khaliq, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
This group isn’t going anywhere if those two don’t get back to their usual selves.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Fox also produced movies such as Richard Eyre’s Iris (2001), about author Iris Murdoch and John Bayley starring Kate Winslet and Hugh Bonneville, who portrayed their younger selves, and Dench and Jim Broadbent as the couple in their senior years.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2026
Instead, O’Leary said couples should think small for the sake of their future selves, opting for a civil ceremony and a party afterwards with just a small group of friends.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
The program teaches young runners to pursue their best selves, not by competing against others, but by overcoming their own challenges.
—Michelle Edgar, Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
Our bodies go about their business, but our deeper selves flutter, like those blind moths, into that dim waiting room and linger until some inscrutable opening is granted us to start living again.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
The cast found ways to pay tribute to their on-screen selves through their clothing for the evening.
—Carly Witteman, Vogue, 3 Mar. 2026
The bulk of Dropout’s involvement plot-wise came down to the cast doing caricatures of their comedic selves on the set and during a police lineup, and Reich being inadvertently responsible for the robbery in question via a bad attempt at insurance fraud.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for selves
Noun
-
But Lau wonders whether Horses will be able to avoid conflict, due to their inherent independent natures.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Hval’s restless melodies and at-times Proustian lyrics trail cigarette smoke or the fragrance of roses toward litanies of memory, all the while deconstructing the very natures of stage performance, recording technology, and digital existence.—
Jenn Pelly,
Time,
4 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Mortensen and other Secret Lives of Mormon Wives personalities were previously set to guest on the show, which follows Lisa Vanderpump's staff and guests.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The ever-expanding Real Housewives franchise has officially added Rhode Island into the mix, and while the charming New England state may be the smallest in the country, the personalities are anything but.—
Erin Lassner,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Hundreds of monarch butterflies are painted across the translucent panels, and when sunlight shines through, the structure glows in rich amber tones.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
-
For years, buyers leaned toward neutral tones because they were seen as safer investments.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The photograph feels funereal but rich, somehow—evocative of the days when Edith Wharton’s troubled characters tried to hide from others’ eyes, while the carriage horses clopped along, each step as heavy as destiny.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
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The robotic characters break free from their restaurant resting place to cause chaos in town, while the villainous Marionette pops up to possess victims for her own nefarious purposes.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Selves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selves. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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