sketch 1 of 2

noun

ˈskech How to pronounce sketch (audio)
Definition of sketchnext
1
as in drawing
a picture using lines to represent the chief features of an object or scene made a quick sketch from which she would create a more detailed painting later

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2
as in portrait
a vivid representation in words of someone or something gave her boss quick sketches of the personalities of the clients he was about to meet

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sketch

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to trace
to draw or make apparent the outline of sketched the garden pavilion on a pad of paper so the homeowners would have a rough idea of how it was going to look

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2
as in to describe
to give a representation or account of in words briefly sketched the intent of the reorganization plan

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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 sketch
Noun
The content creator is known to her over 11 million followers for her online parody videos and comedy sketches. — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026 Famous for its walls bearing scribbles and sketches left behind by patrons for over 60 years, El Batey, a bar in Old San Juan, is a Puerto Rican institution serving locals and tourists alike. — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
Admittedly, Mitchell is fairly creative in sketching the run-up to the dinosaur takeover, which includes ominous signs such as long-extinct plant life taking root overnight. — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026 Sam would draw a map, sketching out the coastline of the Levant and marking a dot. — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sketch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sketch
  1. drawing
  2. portrait
  3. trace
  4. describe
  5. illustration
  6. description
  7. outline
  8. portray
Noun
  • Winning Triple Twist numbers 15-19-27-30-36-41 Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.
    — Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Powerball drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
    — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of drawing
Noun
  • Giovanna had spent almost forty years researching Fernanda and, in a way, had already created her own portrait of her.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
  • As Ghostface prepared to leave the Boone, Kansas City artist Deaunte Thomas approached him carrying a portrait depicting Ghostface alongside other members of Wu-Tang Clan.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of portrait
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
Noun
  • But the circumstances provide an unusually good illustration of how potentially enormous financial advantage can be gained from knowing in advance what a president is about to say.
    — Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Holding cotton candy in one hand, Rani—whom Hudson shares with fiancé Danny Fujikawa—topped her long golden blonde hair with a cream cowboy hat that was embellished with her name and an illustration of a rose.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of illustration
Noun
  • The camera captures a car's license plate numbers, a car's description, and the date, time and location a vehicle passed through, and uploads the data to a searchable database customers can use.
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Soon after its release, Cusk was sued by one of the people mentioned in the book, who recognized himself based on Cusk’s description.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of description
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

skeptics
sketch
sketched
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Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on sketch

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sketch

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