Singled out those who were celebrated in their field (13)
I believe the answer is:
distinguished
'singled out' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both related to thinking as well as being past participle verbs.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'those who were celebrated in their field' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'in' is present in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for distinguished that I've seen before include "Acclaimed" , "like a VIP" , "Differentiated; eminent" , "Treated as different" , "Noble and dignified in appearance" .)