as in characteristics
something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind
regards a sense of permanence as one of the fingerprints of a civilized society
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Recent Examples of fingerprints
Execution-style murder Within weeks, detectives arrested Jackson, a neighbor whose fingerprints and DNA were found inside the home, according to authorities.
—
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Investigators on Theresa's case had very little to go on — no footprints, no fingerprints, no murder weapon.
—Mary Murphy, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
Harper scored 12 of his points during the third quarter, putting his fingerprints all over the run that took the Spurs from down 15 to up 15.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Apr. 2026
His fingerprints are all over the modern sport — from the development and implementation of the Next Gen car, to the supervision of going to new tracks (and revitalizing old ones) and more.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Apr. 2026
Girod noted that by applying for relief, Guerra Sandoval was giving the government all her personal information — even fingerprints.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 24 Apr. 2026
During an investigation into Sather's murder, law enforcement officers found Willacy's fingerprints on the fan at Sathey's feet and on a gas can taken from her garage.
—Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
His fingerprints are on almost every major Apple hardware success over the past two decades.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
Start by wiping cabinet fronts and handles, which collect oils and fingerprints over time.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Investigators on Theresa's case had very little to go on — no footprints, no fingerprints, no murder weapon.
—Mary Murphy, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
Harper scored 12 of his points during the third quarter, putting his fingerprints all over the run that took the Spurs from down 15 to up 15.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Apr. 2026
His fingerprints are all over the modern sport — from the development and implementation of the Next Gen car, to the supervision of going to new tracks (and revitalizing old ones) and more.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Apr. 2026
Girod noted that by applying for relief, Guerra Sandoval was giving the government all her personal information — even fingerprints.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 24 Apr. 2026
During an investigation into Sather's murder, law enforcement officers found Willacy's fingerprints on the fan at Sathey's feet and on a gas can taken from her garage.
—Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
His fingerprints are on almost every major Apple hardware success over the past two decades.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
Start by wiping cabinet fronts and handles, which collect oils and fingerprints over time.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fingerprints
Noun
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Researchers evaluated and recorded the same 28 characteristics for each species based on preexisting data from universities and government agencies, Nunez-Mir said.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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Clean-up operations involve experts who calculate the risk of a criticality accident based on the characteristics of the material being moved, Rofer says.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There are a few traits that can make any evaluator skeptical of Martínez’s offensive ceiling.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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Nothing has tested those traits more than what Cora, 50, endured over the last week.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
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If your car is equipped with front radar or driver‑assist features, dirt on the sensor or slight misalignment from a parking‑lot bump could also be the culprit.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Update to the latest version to see all Vogue content, as well as new features like our Runway Genius quiz, Group Chats, and posts from Vogue contributors.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Plus, basil's aromatic qualities can improve the flavor of lettuce.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
30 Apr. 2026
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These guys have leadership qualities.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Find attributes that cannot be taught.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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His physical attributes caught the attention of the Ravens’ front office and scouts, but his relationship with Heap helped drive his quality of character home.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Political discussions on social media are often dominated by competing attributions of more and more insidious motives to people on the other side.—
Mark Schroeder,
The Conversation,
20 Feb. 2026
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This post was corrected on 21 January 2021 to clarify attributions.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
12 Jan. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Fingerprints.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fingerprints. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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