OUTLINE Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'outline' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of outline are contour , profile , and silhouette . While all these words mean "the line that bounds and gives form to something," outline applies to a line marking the outer limits or edges of a body or mass. // traced the outline of his hand

Q: When might 'contour' be a better fit than 'outline'?

The meanings of contour and outline largely overlap; however, contour stresses the quality of an outline or a bounding surface as being smooth, jagged, curving, or sharply angled. // a car with flowing contours

Q: When can 'profile' be used instead of 'outline'?

In some situations, the words profile and outline are roughly equivalent. However, profile suggests a varied and sharply defined outline against a lighter background. // a portrait of her face in profile

Q: When is it sensible to use 'silhouette' instead of 'outline'?

The synonyms silhouette and outline are sometimes interchangeable, but silhouette suggests a shape especially of a head or figure with all detail blacked out in shadow leaving only the outline clearly defined. // photograph in silhouette against a bright sky

outline 1 of 2

verb

Definition of outline

as in to trace

to draw or make apparent the outline of she carefully outlined the tree before she started drawing in the leaves

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to summarize

to make into a short statement of the main points (as of a report) outlined the important points in the introduction

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

outline

2 of 2

noun

ˈau̇t-ˌlīn

as in silhouette

a line that traces the outer limits of an object or surface place your hand on the paper and draw an outline around it

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in summary

a short statement of the main points a printed outline of the lecture has been made available for all attendees

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun outline differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of outline are contour, profile, and silhouette. While all these words mean "the line that bounds and gives form to something," outline applies to a line marking the outer limits or edges of a body or mass.

traced the outline of his hand

When might contour be a better fit than outline?

The meanings of contour and outline largely overlap; however, contour stresses the quality of an outline or a bounding surface as being smooth, jagged, curving, or sharply angled.

a car with flowing contours

When can profile be used instead of outline?

In some situations, the words profile and outline are roughly equivalent. However, profile suggests a varied and sharply defined outline against a lighter background.

a portrait of her face in profile

When is it sensible to use silhouette instead of outline?

The synonyms silhouette and outline are sometimes interchangeable, but silhouette suggests a shape especially of a head or figure with all detail blacked out in shadow leaving only the outline clearly defined.

photograph in silhouette against a bright sky

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 outline

Verb

The lower reaches of the Litani River, outlined in blue, are the northern edge of a UNIFIL deployment area between Israel and Lebanon. — Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026 Analysts project that the sanctions outlined by the law could cost Russia billions in energy revenue if fully implemented. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

Noun

City outlines planned safety improvements In a statement following the latest crash, the City of Modesto pointed to ongoing efforts to improve road safety. — Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 Instead of a script, the actors worked from a seven-page outline, drawing on their own family experiences to shape the dialogue and characters. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for outline

Recent Examples of Synonyms for outline

Verb

The country’s storied motorsport lineage can be traced to 1963, when Formula 1 originally added a Grand Prix in Mexico’s capital.

— Alan Chazaro, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Oct. 2026
Difficulties in tracing their origin could result in 60% of these growers being excluded from the European market, ODI Global estimated.

— Damian Zane, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of trace

Verb

That’s how one top Netflix insider summarized another bloody Monday at the streamer, which saw Dan Lin ousted as the company’s head of film.

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
Related Stories InCheck reports summarize how a factory’s chemical inventory conforms to ZDHC’s Manufacturing Restricted Substances List, or MRSL.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of summarize

Noun

Just as the duo promised, the olive green hue and buttoned collar detail feel like upgrades to a classic silhouette.

— Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2026
Over the years, his wardrobe has moved between sharp tailoring, sporty staples, and collegiate influences, with shell jackets, fleeces, wide-legged trousers, and oversized silhouettes all making regular appearances.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of silhouette

Noun

Chatbots can also explain complex topics in new ways and condense an overwhelming amount of information into a simple summary.

— Robin Brewer, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
Insiders cited broad industry-wide online traffic problems plaguing numerous online publishers, including Meta’s decision to deprioritize links to news articles and the rise of chatbots and AI summaries, which have decimated search traffic.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of summary

Verb

The strategy defines six goals that are intended to address each of the challenges alongside corresponding objectives to guide NASA’s achievements of the goals.

— David Zamora, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Mega-cap companies are generally defined as those with market capitalizations exceeding $200 billion.

— Michael Khouw, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of define

Verb

Personalities are sketched only in the margins, mostly via brief snippets of chatter between rounds of gunfire.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
Those details sketch an almost perfect outline of the experiences of Aleysha Ortiz, who graduated from Hartford Public Schools in 2024 without knowing how to read.

— Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of sketch

Browse Nearby Words

outlets

outline

outlined

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Outline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outline. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of outline

verb

noun

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