isolate 1 of 3

noun

ˈī-sə-lət How to pronounce isolate (audio)
Definition of isolatenext
as in hermit
a person who lives away from others interpersonal relationships are very stressful for him, so he lives as a virtual isolate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

isolate

2 of 3

verb

ˈī-sə-ˌlāt How to pronounce isolate (audio)
as in to separate
to set or keep apart from others rescuers finally reached outlying villages that had been isolated by the massive earthquake

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

isolate

3 of 3

adjective

as in isolated

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 isolate
Noun
The popcorn uses milk protein isolate to boost the protein content of a classic snack. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson july 10, Charlotte Observer, 10 July 2026 The Hollywood Bowl is debuting its biggest sound overhaul in decades, led by an AI system that isolates vocals onstage and dramatically cuts unwanted noise for cleaner concerts. — Dave Brooks, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Verb
Officials reported that the ship's crew isolated the ill passengers and crew. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026 The crew quarters are moved forward to isolate personnel from the radiation profile of the reactor room. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for isolate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for isolate
  1. hermit
  2. separate
  3. isolated
  4. solitary
  5. segregate
  6. withdrawn
  7. remove
  8. insulated
Noun
  • The area was also chosen by artistic hermit squatters, known as Dunnites, who lived around nearby Oceano and Nipomo in the 1930s.
    — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • Tragedy has turned him into a hermit, but the ponderings from his cave are alluring.
    — Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 17 May 2026
Definition of hermit
Verb
  • Carroll built his home in 2009 directly behind the park, separated only by a fence.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Bunion Bootie is an ultra-thin, soft fabric big-toe alignment sleeve that fits comfortably inside your shoes, with a lightweight, breathable, second-skin design that separates the big toe from the second.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of separate
Adjective
  • Wilson’s one-out strikeout in the bottom of the ninth in an at-bat that could have scored the winning run with a fly ball or grounder up the middle was an especially costly mistake, though not an isolated one, as the A’s struck out 14 times total.
    — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2026
  • The company disclosed last week that a combination of its artificial intelligence models escaped an isolated testing environment that had very limited internet access.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 30 July 2026
Definition of isolated
Noun
  • Today, Richards’s office on Rikers is situated in a small former chapel with a red brick steeple, across a stretch of lawn from the jail where he was once held in solitary.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
  • Now in his 40s, Frank has been in prison for almost his whole adult life, spending 17 years in solitary for assaulting two of his fellow inmates.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 25 Jan. 2026
Definition of solitary
Verb
  • Ten transgender women are currently segregated in the same unit at a prison in Fort Worth, Texas.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
  • His resulting exploration tracks the ways in which Black residents were effectively segregated, through racial covenants and redlining, and overpoliced.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of segregate
Adjective
  • In an era of ball-to-feet No 10s and withdrawn strikers, Welbeck stays high up the pitch, runs the channels and occupies defenders.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • The withdrawn earnings are taxed as ordinary income, the Treasury said.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 11 July 2026
Definition of withdrawn
Verb
  • Like during OpenAI’s tests, normal safety guardrails were removed during Anthropic’s evaluations to assess their models’ full capabilities.
    — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • Under Grayson's direction, Massey went to the stove to remove it.
    — Jerry Nowicki, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of remove
Adjective
  • Tamas locates its tragedy not only in violence and displacement but also in the speed with which neighbors become enemies while those who engineer communal hatred remain insulated from the suffering that follows.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
  • Yet, the ruling hardliners remain insulated, controlling vast wealth.
    — Natasha Lindstaedt, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of insulated

Browse Nearby Words

islets
isolate
isolated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Isolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/isolate. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on isolate

Nglish: Translation of isolate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about isolate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All