separate the men from the boys

verb

To identify (by means of a challenge or ordeal) which of a group of males are mature, courageous or masculine, and which are not.

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Meanings

verbseparate the men from the boys (third-person singular simple present separates the men from the boys, present participle separating the men from the boys, simple past and past participle separated the men from the boys)

present singular third person separates the men from the boys · participle present separating the men from the boys · participle past separated the men from the boys · past separated the men from the boys

  1. To identify (by means of a challenge or ordeal) which of a group of males are mature, courageous or masculine, and which are not.
Cite this entry
APA

separate the men from the boys. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/separate%20the%20men%20from%20the%20boys

MLA

“separate the men from the boys.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/separate%20the%20men%20from%20the%20boys. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “separate the men from the boys,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/separate%20the%20men%20from%20the%20boys.

Source: separate the men from the boys on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.