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Thinking and knowing

Synonyms for example

Synonyms for example: instance, lesson, case and model. Every one of them is a hand audited pair from the Synonym Stack word bank, shown below in the sense it fits, in a real sentence, and beside the words that only look close.

4 synonyms · Tier 1, Foothills · 2 senses · noun · 1 opposite · 6 sentences · 2 reason lines · a wrong tile in 3 puzzles

The 4 synonyms for example

Interchangeable with example, one per sense

Audited under example's own entry, so the meaning quoted is the one example carries in that sense.

  • instancenoun, in the sense "an item of information that is typical of a class or group"
  • lessonnoun, in the sense "punishment intended as a warning to others"

Recorded from the other side of the pair

These entries were written under the other word and name example as the true synonym, so the sense quoted is theirs.

  • casecase is a noun in the sense "an occurrence of something"
  • modelmodel is a noun in the sense "something to be imitated"

The first group is filed under example's own senses. The second reach example from the partner word's entry, so the sense quoted beside them is that word's.

Sense 1 of 2nounTier 1, FoothillsThinking and knowing

an item of information that is typical of a class or group

There is an example on page 10.

One sentence, one sense. Without it the word could be read three other ways.

example in 2 more sentences, same sense

  • The manager pulled up an example from last month's report to show what a completed form should look like.
  • In her letter, she gave an example of the kind of mistake that kept happening at the warehouse.

How it behaves: Example typically takes a following 'of' phrase or clause and appears as the object of verbs like give, cite, or provide, usually preceded by an indefinite article.

The true synonym

instance

Same sentence, swapped: There is an instance on page 10.

Close but different

Wrong tiles, chosen to be tempting rather than absurd. The reason line above takes the nearest one apart; the rest fail the same sentence for their own reasons.

  • model
  • lesson
  • condition

The opposite, in this sense

exception reverses example as it is used in the sentence above. A different sense of example takes different opposites, which is why these sit inside the sense and not at the top of the page.

  • exception
Sense 2 of 2nounTier 1, FoothillsCommunication

punishment intended as a warning to others

They decided to make an example of him.

This is the whole of what a player sees before choosing. The meaning has to come out of it.

example in 2 more sentences, same sense

  • The manager fired the intern publicly to make an example of anyone who ignored safety rules.
  • The judge handed down a harsh sentence, wanting to set an example for other smugglers.

How it behaves: In this sense example almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'make an example of' or 'set an example', functioning as the object of the verb make or set, in a fairly formal register.

The true synonym

lesson

Same sentence, swapped: They decided to make an lesson of him.

Close but different

These three are the other tiles the game puts on screen for this sense, and the note above says why the closest of them fails. None is a synonym for example in the sentence quoted.

  • instance
  • case
  • taste

Where example turns up in the game

example is the word under test in two puzzles, spread across Tier 1, Foothills. It also sits on the board as one of the three wrong tiles in three other puzzles, where the answer is a different word entirely.

The puzzles where example is the trap

  • evidencenoun, Tier 2, Treeline. The answer there is grounds, in the sense "your basis for belief or disbelief", with example sitting one tile away.
  • exercisenoun, Tier 2, Treeline. The answer there is workout, in the sense "the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit", and example is one of the three tiles that lose.
  • threatnoun, Tier 2, Treeline. The answer there is menace, in the sense "something that is a source of danger", and example is on the board beside it.

Play example

The bank on this page is the bank the game plays from, so example reaches you as a board rather than a definition: the sentence first, four tiles, and the meaning after you choose.

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The wrong tile gets explained too

Synonym Stack plays from this exact bank. example carries 2 written reason lines, and the game shows them the moment a round ends, whichever tile you tapped.

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