as in characteristic
serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group
a novice birder still learning the distinguishing features of various finches
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in differentiating
to understand or point out the difference in
even at such a young age, he could distinguish the calls of various birds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in characterizing
to be an important feature of
a collection of recipes distinguished by their ease and simplicity
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in identifying
to find out or establish the identity of
learned at an early age to distinguish the sound of a piano in an orchestra
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in noticing
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
could barely distinguish the garden gate through the mist
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in classifying
to arrange or assign according to type
on the exam we were asked to distinguish the specimens by acidity
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of distinguishing
Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
While the ambitious stories and powerful performances help Farscape stand out in small-screen sci-fi, the most distinguishing aspect is the awesome muppets, courtesy of the Jim Henson Company.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2024
One of the distinguishing frameworks of the Edo period banquet was the presentation of the courses on trays.
—Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024
Looking Ahead The central challenge is swiftly distinguishing between truth and falsehood in an era where milliseconds matter.
—Yasin Dus, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Our society depends on countless systems designed under the assumption that distinguishing humans from machines is possible.
—Christian Catalini, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Adding Graphic Image products in various types of leather to the GiGi website has shown promising results, distinguishing our brand further in the highly competitive handbag market.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 17 Dec. 2024
The tool works by distinguishing the two scenes that make up an image with a reflection, which are often distinguished by different content, white balances (indoor scenes tend to look warmer than outdoor ones), and their sharpness.
—Andrew Liszewski, The Verge, 12 Dec. 2024
James knocked the ball down and the Eagles delivered their first unblemished record, another distinguishing mark in a breathtaking season.
—Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
Russian speakers in the experiment proved faster than English speakers at distinguishing shades that corresponded to that lexical distinction.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
While the ambitious stories and powerful performances help Farscape stand out in small-screen sci-fi, the most distinguishing aspect is the awesome muppets, courtesy of the Jim Henson Company.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2024
One of the distinguishing frameworks of the Edo period banquet was the presentation of the courses on trays.
—Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024
Looking Ahead The central challenge is swiftly distinguishing between truth and falsehood in an era where milliseconds matter.
—Yasin Dus, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Our society depends on countless systems designed under the assumption that distinguishing humans from machines is possible.
—Christian Catalini, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Adding Graphic Image products in various types of leather to the GiGi website has shown promising results, distinguishing our brand further in the highly competitive handbag market.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 17 Dec. 2024
The tool works by distinguishing the two scenes that make up an image with a reflection, which are often distinguished by different content, white balances (indoor scenes tend to look warmer than outdoor ones), and their sharpness.
—Andrew Liszewski, The Verge, 12 Dec. 2024
James knocked the ball down and the Eagles delivered their first unblemished record, another distinguishing mark in a breathtaking season.
—Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 7 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguishing
Adjective
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The predominant green hues often seen in auroras are characteristic of oxygen, while nitrogen can produce purples, blues and pinks.George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
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The characteristic behaviors in each case are quite different and over time tend to become embedded in the way people in the firm think, speak, and feel, as part of the firm’s culture.Steve Denning, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
Verb
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With this approach, grocers can display all store items online, differentiating between those immediately available and those available at a future date.Devadas Pattathil, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
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Many of these startups position themselves as AI search engines centered on scholarly research—each with differentiating product features and target audiences.IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In addition to identifying the main elements of a settlement, the United States needs a plan for getting there.Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 24 Dec. 2024
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Leaders can begin by identifying organizational needs through surveys or focus groups.Dr. Ritu Goel, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Those deaths aren't counted in our statistics, and that's primarily because of the difficulty in classifying those deaths in a disaster.Melody Schreiber, NPR, 13 Dec. 2024
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The National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint Wednesday against the popular Netflix dating show, classifying its stars as employees and accusing the program of several labor violations.Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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And in the case of the Explorer this is compounded because its a good EV, is quiet on the road, and has a good range and a distinctive, winning exterior.Jeremy White, WIRED, 21 Dec. 2024
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Gottlieb and Katz both credit a shift towards more unique shapes in general—with more and more brides wanting distinctive, fashion-forward rings that the algorithm hasn’t served them a thousand times before.Elise Taylor, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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These two paradigms have largely existed in isolation, driven by the distinct needs of their respective markets.Zennon Kapron, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
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In these realms, Archaea—microorganisms similar to, but evolutionarily distinct from, bacteria—thrive.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Despite seeing their four-game win streak broken, quarterback Baker Mayfield and coach Todd Bowles agree the Bucs will be ready to finish the season strong.Rick Stroud, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Dec. 2024
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Was great seeing Voro knock Patty on his ass.Aaron Portzline, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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This sort of setup is typical of an area that is, even by Italian standards, one of the great foodie regions.Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Dec. 2024
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It is otherwise recognized for a dial that is typical to Cartier with Roman numerals, a chemin de fer minute track, and blued steel hands, although some outliers of those parameters do exist.Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 26 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near distinguishing
Cite this Entry
“Distinguishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguishing. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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