delineate

verb

di-ˈli-nē-ˌāt How to pronounce delineate (audio)
Definition of delineatenext
1
as in to trace
to draw or make apparent the outline of the man's roly-poly shape was softly delineated by the glow of the fire

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to describe
to give a representation or account of in words the story does a remarkable job of delineating the emotions that immigrants feel upon their arrival in a strange country

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of delineate Short dramas are about big emotions and dramatic reversals; the heroes and villains are generally clearly delineated. — Lavender Au, The Dial, 30 June 2026 By 1962, Jaray was making hard-edge abstract paintings that conjured architectural structures or details; delineated with masking tape and executed without visible brush strokes, they were carefully plotted out through multiple preliminary drawings, and in later years, on a computer. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 25 June 2026 While prosecution witnesses have refused to delineate between the Lachman and Palisades blazes, Haney has repeatedly described them as two distinct incidents that ignited days apart. — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026 Some of them act as half walls, delineating the foyer, or partially separating the family room from the main salon. — Paola Singer, Architectural Digest, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for delineate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delineate
  1. trace
  2. describe
  3. define
  4. depict
  5. outline
  6. portray
Verb
  • Booth traces some of that texture to how reality television engages with a location differently than scripted work does.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Taken together, the intimates trace a timeline of scientific innovation, societal progress, and sometimes surprising aesthetic choices.
    — April White, JSTOR Daily, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of trace
Verb
  • DeepMind's Demis Hassabis has similarly described a future that plays to that strategy.
    — MacKenzie Sigalos,Drew Troast, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • For space robots, Ono describes simplicity in terms of the number of actuators.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of describe
Verb
  • The trailblazing American feminist, Gloria Steinem, who died Wednesday, lived a life defined by movement in every sense of the word.
    — Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The character is composed of only the broadest of strokes, thinly defined by toughness, trauma, and uncomfortable motherhood, runoff of the stew that formed characters like Ripley.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of define
Verb
  • Golf equipment powerhouse Callaway ended its partnership with Good Good Golf amid the justified backlash over a video ad for a new Callaway driver that depicts a man aggressively shoving a woman to the ground.
    — Greg Cote August 30, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026
  • And inside, the shoe’s insoles are printed with graphics depicting piles of beads — just in case the inspiration was lost on anyone.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of depict
Verb
  • The order Graf read from the bench outlined the evidence presented during the hearing, ruling that the prosecution had met the threshold of probable cause and can still pursue the death penalty.
    — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Partnership could eventually reach 18 GWh The agreement currently guarantees the supply of the first 9 GWh of battery cells, but the companies have also outlined a framework for another 9 GWh.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of outline
Verb
  • By this reasoning, federal agencies must be allowed to complete rulemaking before judges intervene, and challenges to the order are portrayed as speculative attempts to stop reforms that could be crafted within constitutional limits.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Following his success on M*A*S*H, Alda continued playing a TV doctor on ER in 1999 and six episodes of The Big C, as well as portraying a psychiatrist on Ray Donovan.
    — Rachel Flynn, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of portray

Browse Nearby Words

delimits
delineate
delineated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Delineate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delineate. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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