1
as in to notice
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
barely able to discern the garden gate through the mist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to differentiate
to understand or point out the difference in
too young to discern between right and wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to understand
to have a clear idea of
we're still trying to discern the meaning of that cryptic remark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of discern
Branden was my lighthouse, guiding me to shore, discerning, relentless, tireless in his pursuit of truth.
—
Sarah Paulson, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2025
Step into the incredible gourmet kitchen designed for the discerning chef.
—Monica Lander, Mercury News, 30 May 2025
The odiferous hypocrisy of this administration is visible to everyone who has discerning eyes — or a sense of smell.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 29 May 2025
But spectacle alone doesn’t captivate those with a discerning eye.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for discern
Sarah Paulson, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2025
Step into the incredible gourmet kitchen designed for the discerning chef.
—Monica Lander, Mercury News, 30 May 2025
The odiferous hypocrisy of this administration is visible to everyone who has discerning eyes — or a sense of smell.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 29 May 2025
But spectacle alone doesn’t captivate those with a discerning eye.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for discern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discern
Verb
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Build space into your schedule to notice these things.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
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La Rue claims Leto was observing her so intensely that her mother noticed.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
Verb
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The Democrats on stage, though largely agreeing about policy, sought to differentiate themselves.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
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Other innovations include behavioral biometrics, which measure unique user behavior, such as typing patterns and mouse movements, and liveness detection tools that differentiate between real people and deepfakes.—
Gary Drenik,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Verb
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To understand how the deportation dragnet works, TIME joined ICE officers on a pair of morning raids in the New Orleans area.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
10 June 2025
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Ranked from the top, they are understood to be The Eastern Gate, The Thaw, Spain’s When No One Sees Us, X-rated Queen, and A Decent Man.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2025
Verb
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Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni told reporters after the match, which finished 1-1, that Messi preferred to come off rather than see Scaloni take off young playmaker Thiago Almada.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
14 June 2025
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By June 2023, the pair were spotted enjoying several outings in New York City, and the following month, they were seen holding hands outside of Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica, Calif., and kissing at Crossroads, a restaurant in West Hollywood.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
14 June 2025
Verb
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Thus, Israel’s defense establishment formulated a war concept that distinguished between terrorists and the civilian population in Gaza and strived to cause significant damage to Hamas, even if not to destroy every last Hamas fighter.—
Assaf Orion,
Foreign Affairs,
3 June 2025
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The headaches typically occur on the same side as the tumor or cyst and can be challenging for healthcare providers to distinguish from a true headache disorder.6 What Are the Symptoms of Chronic Migraine?—
Cathy Nelson,
Verywell Health,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Newsom said in a court filing on Thursday that troops had moved beyond those allowable duties to actively assist ICE agents in making arrests, in violation of a federal law known as the Posse Comitatus Act, which is designed to prevent the military from being used as a domestic police force.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2025
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Brandon Galli-Graves, Staff Attorney at Justice Action Center, said that the organization does not know how DHS will conduct immigration enforcement toward beneficiaries of the program.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2025
Verb
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An invasive creature native to South America has been spotted at a Northern California park, prompting a search, rangers reported.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2025
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The singer was spotted out in New York yesterday (June 7) prior to her performance at the Governor’s Ball.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
8 June 2025
Verb
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Sometimes, Tarhan explained, women will flip the cups over and try and try to decipher the meaning left behind by the coffee sediment — kind of like reading your fortune in tea leaves.—
Samantha Husted,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2025
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Finally, Ross helps boost your energy intelligence to decipher when rest requires slowing down and when it’s achieved by accelerating in a new, reinvigorating direction.—
Serenity Gibbons,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discern. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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