distinguishes

verb

present tense third-person singular of distinguish
1
as in differentiates
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in characterizes
to be an important feature of a collection of recipes distinguished by their ease and simplicity

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in identifies
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 notices
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes could barely distinguish the garden gate through the mist

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in classifies
to arrange or assign according to type on the exam we were asked to distinguish the specimens by acidity

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 distinguishes But Dooley, who founded the website AI-Empowered Mom to reduce parents’ mental load through AI, distinguishes passive, isolated screen use from productive or interactive uses. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026 What distinguishes the formulas are the stabilizing proteins packaged with the toxin. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2026 What distinguishes the project is how the dress came together. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026 While many operational details remain undisclosed, the military’s confirmation of the hit and distance distinguishes this shot from several longer claims. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026 So far this follows a familiar pattern, but what distinguishes the Left Book Club was its emphasis on activism. — Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026 In fact, the Antichrist and eschatology are arguably the central religious impulse running through American Christianity, and that focus distinguishes the US from most other churches and cultures around the globe. — David Gibson, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2026 Using motion sensors and patented algorithms, the belt distinguishes everyday movements from a serious hip-impacting fall and deploys inflatable airbags, cushioning the hips, in less than 90 milliseconds—before the wearer hits the ground. — Lauryn Higgins, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 The fundamental difference that distinguishes this effective use of airpower lies in the objectives that the enemy was seeking to achieve. — Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguishes
  1. differentiates
  2. characterizes
  3. identifies
  4. notices
  5. classifies
  6. sees
  7. ranks
  8. spots
Verb
  • What differentiates this wave of sudden wealth syndrome from the dot-com era, DiFuria said, is that people are making money from a technology many consider destructive—including some of the people building it.
    — Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Bringing these creative brands together, giving producers access to a broader pool of talent, IP and resources, while preserving their independence is what differentiates Mediawan.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of differentiates
Verb
  • The younger Paul’s relationship with Braunstein, however, was cold — ever since Les Paul died in 2009 of severe pneumonia complications amid what Gene characterizes as communication issues between Braunstein and the family.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Yet recent rhetoric from City Hall characterizes CARE as a success.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of characterizes
Verb
  • The Draghi report on European competitiveness identifies productivity as the primary cause.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The directory identifies each group's mission, ideology, organizational role and documented protest activity, distinguishing direct organizers and participants from supporters and amplifiers.
    — Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of identifies
Verb
  • Andrew Taylor-Parr, the image director for Comme des Garçons (who actually lives in the Barbican), notices the appeal of raw materials and strong form against the modern backdrop of visual noise and commercial polish.
    — Alex Eagle, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Officials urged anyone who notices suspicious signs of infestation to report them immediately.
    — Kierra Frazier, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of notices
Verb
  • The state's vehicle code classifies personal delivery devices as pedestrians and generally requires them to follow pedestrian traffic rules.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Using primary production data, EIM measures water and energy consumption and chemical use, as well as worker impact at the garment-finishing stage, and classifies environmental performance as low, medium or high impact.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of classifies
Verb
  • If a sleeper’s partner sees them sleeping on their back, gently moving them onto their side can reduce the chances of sleep paralysis.
    — RJ Mackenzie, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Deschaine sees the lessons in her class in the conversation at the dinner table.
    — Stephan Bisaha, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of sees
Verb
  • About 3 in 5 Idaho adults live in households with guns, which ranks among the highest rates nationally, according to an estimate from the RAND Gun Policy in America initiative.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Proctor was again dominant at times in the run game; Pro Football Focus already ranks him among the top fifth of NFL guards in the run game.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of ranks
Verb
  • Mom spots shipwreck hiding beneath lake after years of beach visits.
    — , FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Along the route, another driver yells out their window to say hi to Hollywell, while Ayo spots two friends on bicycles and greets them with a cheerful grin and full-body wave.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of spots

Browse Nearby Words

distinguished
distinguishes
distinguishing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Distinguishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguishes. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wraith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All