naming 1 of 2

noun

as in designation

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naming

2 of 2

verb

present participle of name
1
as in calling
to give a name to decided to name her new puppy "Bubbles"

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2
as in specifying
to make reference to or speak about briefly but specifically I don't want to name anyone in particular, but someone in this room fiddled with my car's radio

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3
as in nominating
to pick (someone) by one's authority for a specific position or duty was named the provost of the university

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4
as in selecting
to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities you don't like my offer? Just name your price

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in setting
to decide upon (the time or date for an event) usually from a position of authority you name the date and I'll make sure I'm there

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6
as in choosing
to come to a judgment about after discussion or consideration they finally named a date for the wedding

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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 naming
Noun
Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario — then, now and always. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 Trump cannot force Canada to follow his preferred naming convention, however. — Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario – then, now and always. — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 The vessel actually received its name, Yampu, through an Adbri naming process. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026 Snail mucin has already made the jump; mung bean, green tangerine and adenosine-and-peptide blends are the next candidates for mainstream naming recognition. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026 For example, the Dodgers will give Kalshi naming rights for the Golden Glove Bar under the partnership. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026 Unlike Pluto's naming, when the public suggested monikers for the new planet, the public didn't participate in the scientific process of its recategorization. — Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026 In April, The Athletic revealed that KNOX Hydration had taken up a three-year naming-rights deal to become the first-ever sponsor of Newcastle’s Darsley Park training ground. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
Garen notes that naming or displaying a device may offer limited distinction when nearby practices provide comparable services. — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 In November, an official with the World Health Organization directly tied to the outbreak to an anti-vaccine group stoking fear on social media, without directly naming CHD. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 This is strong energy for editing, organizing, asking clearly, or naming the next step. — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026 Lombard Odier remains positive on Chinese equities, naming China as one of its preferred emerging markets alongside South Korea, Taiwan and Brazil. — Lee Ying Shan,alex Harring, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 Hospital physicians would later detail her case in a 2019 medical journal article without naming X2. — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 Utopai Studios has completed the integration of its Asia-Pacific joint venture Utopai East into its global operations, naming veteran media executive Hyun Park president of Utopai Studios APAC region. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026 That means naming pregnant women explicitly in heatwave guidance, revisiting the heat thresholds that trigger official alerts, and assessing whether maternity units themselves can cope as temperatures rise. — Catarina Rolfsdotter-Jansson, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Most years, Freeman is eager to get into what the Irish did well, picking out a few standout performances and naming a winner between the offense and defense. — Pete Sampson, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naming
  1. designation
  2. calling
  3. specifying
  4. nominating
  5. selecting
  6. setting
  7. choosing
  8. nomination
Noun
  • The government said the designation stemmed from Anthropic’s refusal to accept contractual terms, not its views on AI safety.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The current 10-day minimum stay for position players would be replaced with a one-week designation, and the 15-day pitcher injury list would become a two-week designation.
    — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of designation
Verb
  • Philadelphia residents can find adult education programs by calling the Philadelphia adult education hotline at 833-750-5627.
    — Jennifer D. Kobrin, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Jane understands that calling Bunny out is a social and professional transgression, but her decision to do it anyway is ultimately an invitation for redemption, which Bunny accepts.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of calling
Verb
  • Two days after Marius was convicted, the palace said Mette-Marit had undergone a successful ⁠lung transplant, without specifying when the procedure took place.
    — Terje Solsvik, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Asking for space—and specifying when the conversation will resume—can protect a relationship by giving both people time to calm down.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of specifying
Verb
  • At the same time, Democrats and independents are nominating outsider candidates, some aligned with democratic socialist agendas over establishment candidates, in a sign of voter backlash against the status quo.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Trump consistently criticized former Fed Chair Jerome Powell for the same reason after nominating him to the role in 2017.
    — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of nominating
Verb
  • For example, selecting a chair that encourages an upright posture can reduce pain and injury risk, especially when gamers couple ergonomics with an exercise program that centers on functional strength, mobility and stretching of the upper limbs.
    — Erica D. Henn, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The city will begin the process of selecting a shelter operator next year, Bontrager previously said during a community meeting.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of selecting
Verb
  • Finally, Angel Martinez captured this gorgeous shot of the eclipsed Sturgeon Moon setting behind a cluster of skyscrapers in Madrid, Spain, as atmospheric effects distorted the true color and outline of the lunar disk.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • And with oil prices showing no sign of returning to pre-Iran war levels this year, pressure is increasing on the Fed to combat that sticky inflation by raising interest rates at its next policy-setting meeting in September.
    — Brian Cheung, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of setting
Verb
  • By choosing a highly machinable material and bonding it, Flit achieves a frame that as light and structurally sound as titanium, but at a fraction of the production complexity – and cost.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The clearest sign of the change came in 2024, when a study recorded Americans choosing cannabis over alcohol for daily consumption, marking the first time in history that cannabis has overtaken alcohol as the preferred daily substance.
    — Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of choosing
Noun
  • Thailand has yet to secure an Oscar nomination in the international feature category.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Cruz finished second to Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential primary, which featured more than a dozen GOP lawmakers vying for the nomination.
    — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of nomination

Browse Nearby Words

names
naming
nannies
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Cite this Entry

“Naming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naming. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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