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 out

She was singled out for special treatment.

Examples of single out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Readers single out the world-class museums, the tranquil parks and gardens, and even the street art. —

Peter Terzian, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2024 And there’s a level of guilt that happens when you and just you are singled out and given success and others can’t share that with you. —

Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 28 June 2024 Makeup design doesn’t always mean prosthetics or extremes — that’s why the Emmy Awards smartly single out contemporary makeup design as its own category. —

Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 22 June 2024 The same user went on to clarify that such a policy should be applied to all guests, not just a move to single out the sister. —

Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 20 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for single out

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.