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
On April 18, the mission team singled out the code responsible for packaging the spacecraft’s engineering data and sent it to its new location.
—
Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
Sanford said the agency is also gathering public input, including with an online survey where nearly 3,000 people singled out potentially dangerous intersections.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
Berliner has singled out coverage of several issues dominating the 2020s for criticism, including trans rights, the Israel-Hamas war and COVID.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 16 Apr. 2024
Out of these projects, some 10 to 12 of the best pieces will be singled out for a showcase.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 15 Apr. 2024
The only children who are singled out to pay for their own care are those receiving federal benefits, either because they are disabled, or have a deceased parent.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2024
Jaffer said that a law restricting ownership of social media giants across the board, in a way that didn’t single out a specific platform, might be able to survive a constitutional challenge.
—Emily Baker-White, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Putin did not single out either side in his address to the country.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 24 Mar. 2024
Despite the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian State Duma Defense Committee blaming Ukraine — which is at war with Russia — for the attack, and a faction of ISIS taking responsibility for the mass shooting, Putin did not single out either party in his address to the Russian people.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
Sanford said the agency is also gathering public input, including with an online survey where nearly 3,000 people singled out potentially dangerous intersections.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
Berliner has singled out coverage of several issues dominating the 2020s for criticism, including trans rights, the Israel-Hamas war and COVID.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 16 Apr. 2024
Out of these projects, some 10 to 12 of the best pieces will be singled out for a showcase.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 15 Apr. 2024
The only children who are singled out to pay for their own care are those receiving federal benefits, either because they are disabled, or have a deceased parent.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2024
Jaffer said that a law restricting ownership of social media giants across the board, in a way that didn’t single out a specific platform, might be able to survive a constitutional challenge.
—Emily Baker-White, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Putin did not single out either side in his address to the country.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 24 Mar. 2024
Despite the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian State Duma Defense Committee blaming Ukraine — which is at war with Russia — for the attack, and a faction of ISIS taking responsibility for the mass shooting, Putin did not single out either party in his address to the Russian people.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 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 3 May. 2024.
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