1
as in describing
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
how would you characterize the mission of this environmental organization?
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in distinguishing
to be an important feature of
an unsightly rash characterizes chicken pox
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of characterizing
But those infractions do not justify characterizing an entire category of services that helps tens of millions of Americans remain in their homes as rife with fraud and in need of dramatic changes.
—
Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2026
The author portrays Huntington Beach’s conservative leadership as opportunistic political actors seeking to weaponize local grievances for statewide power, characterizing their efforts to expand influence as built on cultural controversies rather than substantive governance achievements.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Mandy Joye, an oceanographer specializing in microbiology at the University of Georgia, has spent decades characterizing microbes in hydrocarbon-rich habitats across the Gulf.
—Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
But a number of architects and preservation groups provided their opinions of the 90,000 square foot project, generally characterizing it as way out of scale with the Executive Residence, the main part of the White House, while throwing off the symmetry of the grounds.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
The notion of characterizing such a move as anything more than penalizing the public — which is finally balking at more taxation — is nonsense.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Analysts at Mizuho, for example, urged investors not to overreact, characterizing the move as typical profit-taking after a strong rally.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Guten singled out the defense’s witness, Beatty, as too biased to render an impartial assessment, characterizing the social worker’s testimony as advocacy, not an expert opinion.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
The Hideout also closed for a couple of months beginning in November 2022 after former program director Mykele Deville issued a social media post characterizing the venue as a toxic workplace.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2026
The author portrays Huntington Beach’s conservative leadership as opportunistic political actors seeking to weaponize local grievances for statewide power, characterizing their efforts to expand influence as built on cultural controversies rather than substantive governance achievements.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Mandy Joye, an oceanographer specializing in microbiology at the University of Georgia, has spent decades characterizing microbes in hydrocarbon-rich habitats across the Gulf.
—Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
But a number of architects and preservation groups provided their opinions of the 90,000 square foot project, generally characterizing it as way out of scale with the Executive Residence, the main part of the White House, while throwing off the symmetry of the grounds.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
The notion of characterizing such a move as anything more than penalizing the public — which is finally balking at more taxation — is nonsense.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Analysts at Mizuho, for example, urged investors not to overreact, characterizing the move as typical profit-taking after a strong rally.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Guten singled out the defense’s witness, Beatty, as too biased to render an impartial assessment, characterizing the social worker’s testimony as advocacy, not an expert opinion.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
The Hideout also closed for a couple of months beginning in November 2022 after former program director Mykele Deville issued a social media post characterizing the venue as a toxic workplace.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterizing
Verb
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When describing his overall plan for ELL and emergent bilingual learning after staff cuts, Licata said those resources are not being spent in the right directions for students.—
Samuel O’Neal
Updated April 29,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
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What the note was describing lay outside the perimeter.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The second distinguishing feature of liveblogs is their tone of voice, which is often dialogic in nature.—
Daniel Jackson,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Technology enables simultaneous production of hydrogen The team also pointed out that this technology enables the simultaneous production of hydrogen and chemical feedstocks such as formate, distinguishing it from conventional water electrolysis processes that produce only hydrogen.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ann Jillian went from a Disney child star to a '80s sitcom favorite, even portraying her own battle with cancer on screen.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
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Yes, Jaafar is actually singing while portraying Michael, with the late singer's vocals also being blended into some of the tracks.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Millions looked on as Britain's future king and queen wed on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London, defining a new era for the monarchy.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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The soft, sunny color is the perfect hue to transition into the warmer months, and Kristi Patterson, founder and principal designer at Grace Hill Design, says yellow is emerging as the defining color of the season.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Characterizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterizing. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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