OUTLINES Synonyms: 118 Similar and Opposite Words

outlines 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of outline

as in traces

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 summarizes

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

outlines

2 of 2

noun

plural of outline

as in contours

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 summaries

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

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 outlines

Verb

City outlines restrictions on camera use In its statement, the city said officers must enter an offense type and associated case number when conducting historical ALPR searches as part of investigations. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026 An affidavit prepared by a Fort Worth Police Department homicide detective outlines the circumstances that law enforcement authorities believe support Henton’s arrest for murder, the offense on suspicion of which he was arrested on Friday. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026 The pledge outlines clear guidance on minimum model sizing, enforcing minimum sizes of EU 34 (US 2) for women, as well as access to healthy food and beverages in line with models’ dietary needs on shoots and at shows. — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026 The document outlines the need to address barriers to care women face because of cultural, racial and socioeconomic factors. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 19 Oct. 2026 The nonprofit Stand Up for Stand Up posted a detailed breakdown of the data that outlines a 66% shrinkage in the SiriusXM Raw channel roster. — Christina Catherine Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 The letter outlines 10 conditions that could help alleviate antitrust concerns. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026 The time and place of the execution have not yet been announced, but Army policy outlines that executions must happen within 150 days of the president approving it, but no sooner than 60 days. — ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026 This text outlines eight successive stages of yoga aimed at reaching mental tranquility through focus on God. — Bhakti Mamtora, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 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 These are perfect negatives of the original objects, sometimes so detailed that the outlines of wood cells are visible under a microscope. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 9 Oct. 2026 Lichtenstein rose to prominence for canvases that drew inspiration from bold black outlines, flat bright colors, and fields of dots that defined commercial printing across comic books, advertisements, and newspapers. — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Love Days retraces the outlines of Ettie’s life through the story of Susanna Moore. — Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026 Verity is indisposed, and her husband, Jeremy (Josh Hartnett), is looking for someone to take over her series and come stay at their Vermont house and go through his wife’s copious notes and outlines. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026 Things turned ugly when the outlines of the Khashoggi offer emerged. — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026 Like some of the music, the album artwork also pays homage to the animal world and our interconnectedness—the abstract piece offers a single line drawing that weaves in outlines of a panting dog, screeching cat, stoic bunny, and wise owl. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 28 Sep. 2026 Goh begins each coffin by tracing the outlines on the wood with a pencil before cutting and shaping it. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for outlines

Verb

An October 7 analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), drawing on more than 90 Chinese-language sources, traces that process from battlefield observation to publicly visible changes in Chinese preparations.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
Robertson traces Perry’s life as a child of divorce to a hopeful comedic actor to star of one of the biggest TV shows of all time.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of traces

Verb

Because this was a scoping review, which summarizes existing research rather than testing a treatment directly, the researchers could not make clinical recommendations or fully assess the risk of bias.

— Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Giuffra on Friday also referred to a Cornell document that summarizes key evidence included in a university disciplinary panel’s decision.

— Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of summarizes

Noun

The multitasking device temporarily boosts radiance, improves firmness, and sculpts the look of facial contours—all in just a few minutes a day.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 29 Sep. 2026
By preventing excess slack and eliminating interfering contours, the PBU minimizes collision risks across complex movement paths.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of contours

Noun

Their seconds-long spiels have touched on topical news instead, providing brief summaries of subjects like the protests in Europe and the war in Ukraine, as if long-form journalism is incomplete without a quick nod to the daily headlines.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 19 Oct. 2026
With a Bee Pro subscription, which costs $12 per month, users can get unlimited conversation summaries and daily memories as well as integrations with Amazon's webstore, its Alexa+ AI assistant and third-party apps.

— Annie Palmer, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of summaries

Verb

Here’s what defines it, and where to find it around metro Atlanta.

— Su-Jit Lin, AJC.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Last but not least, Question 3 asks voters whether to change how the state defines its congressional districts, paving the way for redistricting in the coming years.

— Renee Anderson, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of defines

Noun

The cost figures draw on the Family Budget Calculator developed by the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute from federal data on rents, food costs and consumer spending, with The Post’s own health care estimates.

— Amy L. Wong, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Another star turn goes to Mary Ellen Pleasant, who was arguably America’s first Black millionaire and inarguably one of the most canny and chameleonlike figures this country has ever produced.

— Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of figures

Noun

Denim brands appear to be tapping into an appetite for casual comfort, eschewing tight-fitting or rigid silhouettes for easy-to-wear staples that span occasions and seasonality.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026
For a welcoming feel, the property features cozy design elements like upholstered headboards, warm light fixtures, and classic furniture silhouettes.

— Katharine Sohn, Architectural Digest, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of silhouettes

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outlines

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Style

“Outlines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outlines. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of outlines

verb

noun

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