as in classifying
to arrange or assign according to type
we shouldn't compartmentalize the students into such restrictive categories as scholar and athlete, which are not mutually exclusive
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Recent Examples of compartmentalizing
The duality applies to the whole team, which has seemingly mastered compartmentalizing its fun side and its serious side, tapping into one personality or the other on command.
—
Haley Sawyer, Daily News, 28 Mar. 2026
The premise isn’t without its intriguing ideas, too, like how dating-app technology has had a broader compartmentalizing effect on monogamous relationships in general.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
Also, this team had been good all season at compartmentalizing and being unmoved by things outside their control.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
But Knife is careful to avoid giving the assailant too much space in the narrative, as if compartmentalizing his role was somehow a necessary part of the writer’s rehabilitation.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Jan. 2026
But a different kind of compartmentalizing going on, yeah.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Instead of compartmentalizing passion and profession, some workers are finding that one can meaningfully enhance the other.
—Michael Hansen, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Haley Sawyer, Daily News, 28 Mar. 2026
The premise isn’t without its intriguing ideas, too, like how dating-app technology has had a broader compartmentalizing effect on monogamous relationships in general.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
Also, this team had been good all season at compartmentalizing and being unmoved by things outside their control.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
But Knife is careful to avoid giving the assailant too much space in the narrative, as if compartmentalizing his role was somehow a necessary part of the writer’s rehabilitation.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Jan. 2026
But a different kind of compartmentalizing going on, yeah.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Instead of compartmentalizing passion and profession, some workers are finding that one can meaningfully enhance the other.
—Michael Hansen, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compartmentalizing
Verb
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The funeral home building was demolished in 2024 after the EPA condemned it, classifying it as a toxic waste site.—
Brian Sherrod,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
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Whether the law survives looming legal challenges—rooted in a 1933 state Supreme Court ruling classifying income as property—remains an open question.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Laron is the son of Ronnie Major, an ex-high-ranking Sin City Disciples operative, who was sentenced to over 24 years in prison in October.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
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The 37-year-old was remarkably durable this season, ranking second in the NBA in minutes played.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The second distinguishing feature of liveblogs is their tone of voice, which is often dialogic in nature.—
Daniel Jackson,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
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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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Rather than dispersing plants sporadically, grouping them can significantly enhance their impact.—
Nolan Lewis,
Architectural Digest,
27 Apr. 2026
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While a single candle will not eliminate every insect, grouping a few around seating areas creates a more noticeable effect.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In fairness to Wyle, going all in on a night-shift season would turn The Pitt into an entirely different show, and relegating it to a spinoff would probably mean getting less night shift on The Pitt proper and no one wants that.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
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Boomer Esiason, the 1988 NFL MVP, was traded from the Cincinnati Bengals to the Jets in 1993, relegating Nagle to a reserve role.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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McCarrell said about half of the archive’s materials were well-organized ahead of the impending closure announcement, but categorizing what remains has been largely left up to him.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
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In these years, children are so good at categorizing, memorizing, and imagining that passionate time travel comes easily.—
Elena Megalos,
Longreads,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Charles’s timing makes the benefits of separating those roles more obvious.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
26 Apr. 2026
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The couple sat in a vestibule inside the Aurora immigration detention facility on a Saturday in March, staring at each other through the glass barrier separating the incarcerated from the free.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The rest of the East is sorting its affairs.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Which Dollars Go Where Use time horizon as your sorting mechanism.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compartmentalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compartmentalizing. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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