Synonyms of standout
often attributive
: one that is prominent or conspicuous especially because of excellence

stand out

2 of 2

verb

stood out; standing out; stands out

intransitive verb

1
a
: to stick out from a surface : project
b
: to be prominent or conspicuous
His bright hat made him stand out in the crowd.
also : to be better or more important in a conspicuous way
His performance really stood out.
One part of the testimony stands out.
2
: to steer away from shore
3
: to be stubborn in resolution or resistance

Examples of standout in a Sentence

Noun She is a standout among the available candidates. All the cameras we tested were good, but there was no real standout. Verb the relief figures stand out from the wall quite strikingly
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
France are one of the standout sides from the knockout stages to date. Holly Shand, New York Times, 2 July 2026 In markets, tech stocks are, of course, the standout winner for the first half of the year. Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 2 July 2026
Verb
But even by the standards of the state’s direct democracy process, the 2026 election stands out. Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 At a couture show, where even the sunglasses can look newly unwrapped, the familiar pair stood out for its utility. Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for standout

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1915, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of standout was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Standout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standout. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

standout

1 of 2 noun
: one that is well-known or outstanding especially because of excellence

stand out

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)stan-ˈdau̇t
1
: to stick out from a surface : project
2
: to be easily seen or recognized

More from Merriam-Webster on standout

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!