example

noun

ig-ˈzam-pəl How to pronounce example (audio)
Definition of examplenext
as in instance
one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like a war bonnet that is a fine example of Native American handicraft

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word example distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of example are case, illustration, instance, sample, and specimen. While all these words mean "something that exhibits distinguishing characteristics in its category," example applies to a typical, representative, or illustrative instance or case.

a typical example of bureaucratic waste

When could case be used to replace example?

While in some cases nearly identical to example, case is used to direct attention to a real or assumed occurrence or situation that is to be considered, studied, or dealt with.

a case of mistaken identity

When would illustration be a good substitute for example?

The meanings of illustration and example largely overlap; however, illustration applies to an instance offered as a means of clarifying or illuminating a general statement.

a telling illustration of Murphy's Law

Where would instance be a reasonable alternative to example?

In some situations, the words instance and example are roughly equivalent. However, instance applies to any individual person, act, or thing that may be offered to illustrate or explain.

an instance of history repeating itself

When is sample a more appropriate choice than example?

Although the words sample and example have much in common, sample implies a part or unit taken at random from a larger whole and so presumed to be typical of its qualities.

show us a sample of your work

When might specimen be a better fit than example?

The words specimen and example can be used in similar contexts, but specimen applies to any example or sample whether representative or merely existent and available.

one of the finest specimens of the jeweler's art

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of example For example, buying an Express Pass for the busy July 4 holiday at Epic Universe will cost $250 for a single day, a cost in addition to the ticket price. —Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2025 Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich, for example, were all admitted in time to vote on the proposal to scrap VAR last June, despite still being Championship clubs when the motion was tabled by Wolverhampton Wanderers. —Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025 Theodore Roosevelt, for example, was disappointed in French artist Théobald Chartran's depiction of him from 1902, WETA reported. —Emma Bowman, NPR, 7 Apr. 2025 For example, top Wall Street tech analyst Dan Ives projects that shifting iPhone production to the U.S. would inflate prices by 250%, pushing a $1,000 device to approximately $2,500. —Saul Mangel, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for example
Recent Examples of Synonyms for example
  1. instance
  2. sample
  3. illustration
  4. specimen
  5. case
Noun
  • In one instance, authorities intercepted messages between Hardy and his alleged co-conspirator showing the pair plotting to steal a Mercedes-Benz SL550.
    — Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • In one instance, an applicant for a position at voice authentication startup Pindrop Security used deepfake AI technology to mask his face, Pindrop CEO and co-founder Vijay Balasubramaniyan told CNBC.
    — Josephine Rozzelle, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of instance
Noun
  • With the caveat of a minuscule sample, Altuve still entered Saturday worth one out above average in left field.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
  • This year’s improvements have been over a small sample size, but the Mets have benefited from the additions of Kranick and A.J. Minter, who signed a two-year, $22 million contract in the offseason to fill the left-handed void in last year’s bullpen.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of sample
Noun
  • Photo illustration by Tsering Bista/NPR When journalist Conz Preti brought her three children to visit family in Argentina in 2022, her four-year-old son did something surprising.
    — Julia Furlan, NPR, 5 Apr. 2025
  • After the illustrations were complete, Smith had a few Dreamers stand and introduce their super hero characters to the world.
    — DeVonne Goode, Parents, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of illustration
Noun
  • Recent funding has supported the digitization of over 2,000 vertebrate specimens, including rare and endangered species.
    — Devon Akmon, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2025
  • The landscape is a gardeners’ dream with apple, plum, pear, cherry and nectarine trees, a goji berry patch, blueberry plants, an herb garden, fresh mint, specimens of viburnum, various holly shrubs, arborvitae, Alberta spruces and andromeda plants.
    — Karen A. Avitabile, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of specimen
Noun
  • Similar errors have been made in the United States, including a recent case where a White woman discovered she’d been given the wrong embryo after giving birth to a Black infant.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Some of us cheer for teams that are already out of the playoff hunt, and in some cases might have been for months now.
    — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of case

Browse Nearby Words

examining
example
examples
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Cite this Entry

“Example.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/example. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

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