General:
* Recognize: This is a common synonym, often used when referring to recognizing someone or something you've seen before.
* Determine: This implies a more active process of figuring out what something is.
* Establish: This emphasizes the certainty of the identification.
* Pinpoint: This implies a precise identification.
* Ascertain: This implies a thorough investigation to find out something.
* Discover: This suggests a finding something that was previously unknown.
* Name: This is used when referring to giving a name to something.
* Label: This implies categorizing something.
* Classify: Similar to "label," but often used for more formal categorizations.
Specific contexts:
* For people: distinguish, recognize, pinpoint, single out, name
* For objects: recognize, pinpoint, differentiate, distinguish, classify, categorize, label
* For problems: diagnose, pinpoint, isolate, locate, trace
The best synonym to use will depend on the specific situation and the meaning you want to convey.