pencil

verb

Definition of pencilnext
as in to ink

Related Words

Relevance

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 pencil For business, long-term growth forecasts can indicate whether major capital spending plans pencil out, as well as whether the company should target higher-end products or lower-cost alternatives. — Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 That’s meant to help the math for development costs pencil out to make projects a reality, but means less tax revenue coming in from the development than there could otherwise be. — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2026 For a generation that could easily spend 20 to 30 years in retirement, the math does not pencil out. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 June 2026 City Council can review and reject the deal, and the mayor needs to tap into our immense business and financial expertise to pencil a deal that makes sense. — Joe Holberg, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for pencil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pencil
  1. ink
  2. crayon
Verb
  • When these deals were first inked, an explicit goal for these companies was to reach parents who didn’t allow their kids to watch YouTube.
    — Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • At the trade show, Swiss specialty chemical manufacturer Archroma and Chinese textile mill Prosperity Textile inked an agreement to shape denim innovation together.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of ink
Verb
  • Smith Ready Mix officials met with him to discuss a design, suggesting perhaps a rocket ship or crayon on the silo, but neither design seemed fitting, Maldonado said.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Children tape crayoned train drawings to the corridor walls and make soap artwork on the windows.
    — Mark Orwoll, Travel + Leisure, 18 July 2023
Definition of crayon

Browse Nearby Words

penchants
pencil
penciled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on pencil

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pencil

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All