stand out meaning and examples thumbnail

stand out meaning and examples

2025-10-02

Meaning

  • Stand out means to be very noticeable, clearly different, or easily recognized compared to others.
  • It can also mean to be outstanding, remarkable, or distinguished.

Grammar and Usage

  • Verb type: Phrasal verb (intransitive).

  • Typical patterns:

    • stand out from sth = be different from
    • stand out in sth = be noticeable in a group
    • stand out as sth = be recognized as having a particular quality

Examples of structures:

  • She stands out from the crowd.
  • He stood out as the best player.

Common Phrases

  • stand out from the crowd – to be different or special compared to others.
  • stand out like a sore thumb – to be very noticeable in an awkward way.
  • make sth stand out – to highlight something.

Collocations

  • verbs + stand out: really stand out, clearly stand out
  • stand out + as: stand out as a leader, stand out as an example
  • stand out + from: stand out from competitors, stand out from the rest

Examples

  1. Her bright red coat made her stand out in the crowd.
  2. He really stands out as a natural leader.
  3. This painting stands out from the others because of its bold colors.
  4. Among all the applicants, she stood out for her experience.
  5. The mistake on the report stood out like a sore thumb.
  6. His talent stands out even in a team of skilled professionals.
  7. That shop sign stands out at night because of its neon lights.
  8. She stands out as the best candidate for the job.
  • shine
  • be noticeable
  • be remarkable
  • be prominent
  • draw attention

Antonym

  • blend in
  • fade into the background
  • be unnoticeable