single out
phrasal verb
singled out; singling out; singles out
: to treat or to speak about (someone or something in a group) in a way that is different from the way one treats or speaks about others
The coach singled out the players who played poorly.
The reviewer singled her performance out for praise/criticism.
—often used as (be) singled outShe was singled out for special treatment.
Examples of single out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bloomberg Hundreds of Virgin Atlantic workers are suing the company alleging they were unfairly dismissed during the COVID pandemic, and that the company singled out older staff members.
—
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 May 2024
Miyazaki’s longtime collaborator, producer and co-founder of the studio, Toshio Suzuki, believes the animators is not comfortable with being singled out for the honors surrounding his filmmaking.
—Karen Idelson, Variety, 19 May 2024
But Panthers coach Paul Maurice would have been remiss if not to single out Forsling’s performance.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 May 2024
There is no possible reading of the Quran, of Islamic law, of any school of law that singles out women for this punishment whatsoever.
—Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 8 May 2024
The report said that years of inaction by city agencies had allowed the building to fall into lethal disrepair, and singled out a high-ranking official for blame.
—Lynsey Chutel, New York Times, 6 May 2024
While Porter launched political attacks against Schiff, the front-runner, throughout the campaign, Lee mostly stayed above the fray, rarely singling out her opponents by name.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
He’s also singled out Trump in particular, challenging him to a head-to-head discussion at the Libertarian party convention in late May.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 8 May 2024
Israel, the clear reason for the measure, was not singled out by name.
—Michael Crowley, New York Times, 7 May 2024
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 May 2024
Miyazaki’s longtime collaborator, producer and co-founder of the studio, Toshio Suzuki, believes the animators is not comfortable with being singled out for the honors surrounding his filmmaking.
—Karen Idelson, Variety, 19 May 2024
But Panthers coach Paul Maurice would have been remiss if not to single out Forsling’s performance.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 May 2024
There is no possible reading of the Quran, of Islamic law, of any school of law that singles out women for this punishment whatsoever.
—Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 8 May 2024
The report said that years of inaction by city agencies had allowed the building to fall into lethal disrepair, and singled out a high-ranking official for blame.
—Lynsey Chutel, New York Times, 6 May 2024
While Porter launched political attacks against Schiff, the front-runner, throughout the campaign, Lee mostly stayed above the fray, rarely singling out her opponents by name.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
He’s also singled out Trump in particular, challenging him to a head-to-head discussion at the Libertarian party convention in late May.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 8 May 2024
Israel, the clear reason for the measure, was not singled out by name.
—Michael Crowley, New York Times, 7 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'single out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near single out
Cite this Entry
“Single out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/single%20out. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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