1
as in identifying
to find out or establish the identity of
pinpointed the culprit by tracking calls from his cell phone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in aiming
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal
publishers like to be able to pinpoint publicity efforts where they will have the most effect
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pinpointing
The fact that pinpointing specific conditions isn’t always straightforward.
—
Flow Space Staff, Flow Space, 29 Apr. 2026
The professional dancers put on a dazzling performance on Sunday, pinpointing their strengths as performers and giving a tease of what fans tune in to see every Tuesday night as the main season airs.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
The Rooms The hotel's 252 guest rooms feature plenty of local references, such as headboards carved with topographical maps pinpointing the summit of Denali, as well as practical touches like Illy espresso makers, mini fridges, and charging outlets.
—Jen Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2026
Her ability to purify and characterize myelin basic protein was really sort of pinpointing one of the first myelin proteins that came to the attention of neuroscientists.
—Marcy Thompson, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
Enjoying a space can be as simple as knowing exactly where the skinny spatula is to scrape the last bit of mayo out of the jar for a sandwich, or pinpointing where the ice bucket is stored before company arrives.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
For now, investigators are focused on pinpointing where the bones originally came from — a question that could take additional rounds of analysis to answer.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
This let the scientists focus on just one large storm at a time, pinpointing its location using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Juno and images from amateur astronomers.
—Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 26 Mar. 2026
But pinpointing an exact drug used in an instance of date rape is seldom straightforward.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
Flow Space Staff, Flow Space, 29 Apr. 2026
The professional dancers put on a dazzling performance on Sunday, pinpointing their strengths as performers and giving a tease of what fans tune in to see every Tuesday night as the main season airs.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
The Rooms The hotel's 252 guest rooms feature plenty of local references, such as headboards carved with topographical maps pinpointing the summit of Denali, as well as practical touches like Illy espresso makers, mini fridges, and charging outlets.
—Jen Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2026
Her ability to purify and characterize myelin basic protein was really sort of pinpointing one of the first myelin proteins that came to the attention of neuroscientists.
—Marcy Thompson, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
Enjoying a space can be as simple as knowing exactly where the skinny spatula is to scrape the last bit of mayo out of the jar for a sandwich, or pinpointing where the ice bucket is stored before company arrives.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
For now, investigators are focused on pinpointing where the bones originally came from — a question that could take additional rounds of analysis to answer.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
This let the scientists focus on just one large storm at a time, pinpointing its location using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Juno and images from amateur astronomers.
—Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 26 Mar. 2026
But pinpointing an exact drug used in an instance of date rape is seldom straightforward.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinpointing
Verb
-
Colombia’s Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences said specialists including dentists, anthropologists and forensic doctors are identifying the victims.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Residents identifying themselves as Democrats, who made up 48% of the polling sample, held a 44% favorable view of Johnson, while 35% viewed him unfavorably.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Moyes moved to San Sebastian side Real Sociedad in November 2014, seven months after that unceremonious end to his time at Old Trafford, aiming to rebuild his reputation.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Ukraine produced four million drones last year and is aiming for seven million this year.—
Trudy Rubin,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Gabriel, a 5-11 quarterback with middling arm strength, will have a difficult time finding that same opportunity.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Desperation under dire circumstances didn’t stop the Lakers from finding their lifeline in a 112-108 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets, winning the 5-minute extra period 11-7 after a stunning comeback in the final minute of regulation.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Other states have to confront the unprecedented possibility of revising maps even as voters are casting ballots or the legal process of declaring intent to run for office has concluded.—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
PooCrave rose in the wake of PopCrave, a Twitter account that is practically legacy media at this point, which aggregates news and celebrity birthdays and casting announcements (not to be confused with PopBase … which is similar and different).—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pinpointing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinpointing. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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