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stand apart

B2 neutral inseparable intransitive
In simple words

To be special or different from everyone else around you.

Literal meaning: To physically position yourself away from others.

Meanings

1 B1 neutral

To be physically positioned at a distance from others or from a group.

"The two guards stood apart from the crowd, watching the entrance carefully."

Grammar: inseparable
2 B2 idiomatic neutral

To be clearly different or superior to others due to a distinctive quality or characteristic.

"Her ability to remain calm under pressure made her stand apart from the other candidates."

"What makes Apple stand apart is its obsessive focus on the user experience."

— Steve Jobs, interview with BusinessWeek, 2004
Grammar: inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic formal

To remain separate from a conflict, movement, or group by choice, refusing to take sides.

"Several nations chose to stand apart from the alliance during the dispute."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

Used in both literal (physical distance) and figurative (distinctive quality) senses. The figurative sense is more common in formal and written contexts.

Commonly used with

crowd competition rest peers others pack

Forms

Base
stand apart
I/you/we/they
3rd person
stands apart
he/she/it
Past simple
stood apart
yesterday
Past participle
stood apart
have + pp
-ing form
standing apart
continuous

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Synonyms

stand out be distinct differ be set apart be unique distinguish oneself

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