1
as in to define
to give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly
the document specifies precisely how you may use the information it contains
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to mention
to make reference to or speak about briefly but specifically
police reports didn't specify the model of car the robbers were driving
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of specify
Why Cargo Theft Is On the Radar The exact location where the shipment disappeared was not specified.
—
Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
The exact location where the theft occurred has not been specified.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
His representatives did not specify a cause of death.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
Police did not specify further details about the attack.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for specify
Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
The exact location where the theft occurred has not been specified.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
His representatives did not specify a cause of death.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
Police did not specify further details about the attack.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for specify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specify
Verb
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Sound design—the particular timbre of a bass drum or a synth sweep—often defines the identity of a track.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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That shop, Orange County Drum & Percussion, better known as OCDP, would go on to define the look and sound of a generation of alternative rock drummers.—
Jeff Miller,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Anyone hoping on the CTA knows to be alert, but over the weekend, one passenger on the train left passengers, not to mention those driving along the Dan Ryan, stunned.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Fairlead Strategies or its affiliates may have positions in financial instruments mentioned, may have acquired such positions at prices no longer available, and may have interests different from or adverse to your interests or inconsistent with the advice herein.—
Katie Stockton,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If the case takes the course prescribed under the Texas criminal procedure code and if a magistrate or a state district judge finds that Rodriguez-Singh is incompetent, she will likely be ordered admitted to a maximum-security unit at a state hospital for an attempt at competency restoration.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Apr. 2026
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According to the announcement, spotted by The Verge, the chatbot will only prescribe medications that are considered lower risk, for example SSRIs like sertraline (Zoloft) for depression rather than habit-forming drugs like benzodiazepines or some ADHD drugs like Adderall.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On Sunday, police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from entering the church, citing security concerns as Israel enforces a ban on gatherings in synagogues, churches and mosques during the ongoing war with Iran, which has brought missile strikes near holy sites.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Examples cited include students using inefficient workarounds for simple tasks, such as manually spacing text instead of using formatting tools.—
Darlin Tillery,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Even her 8-year-old daughter has noticed the impact on the family's spending.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Increasingly, human resources departments noticed that applicants used the résumé to tell white lies, and even bigger fibs, listing fictitious degrees, fake promotions and other embellishments.—
Stephen Mihm,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While none of the commodities are traded as widely as oil, the surge indicates how ripple effects from the Middle East conflict could end up restricting production of the semiconductors that power artificial intelligence advances.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
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Preliminary findings indicate a Mercedes was traveling at a high rate of speed while navigating a curve when the driver lost control.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Borenstein notes that this was true before the mystery surcharge appeared in 2015.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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While the other networks gained, Fox News noted that its viewership picked up month-over-month in March, as well as quarter over quarter.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There was a noticeable 20-30% uptick in cancellations for Middle East routes from the travel agency’s Asian clients, with many quoting $450 non-refundable fare change fees on international trips being a top cancellation trigger.—
Sydney Goh,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
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Stammen is quoted in my game story (here) saying the Padres liked the matchup and that the hard contact against King is what precipitated his decision to pull the right-hander.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Specify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specify. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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