1
as in to trace
to draw or make apparent the outline of
the glass skyscraper's sleek silhouette was strikingly defined by the setting sun to its west
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
3
as in to characterize
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
a woman who is defined by her unswerving loyalty to her friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to specify
to give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly
let me define the task so that there is no doubt in your minds about what needs to be done
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of define
In a world where buzz is defined by social media, that is where the host of the Oscars needs to be showing up.
—
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
Ahead of a global tour in support of Oneohtrix’s engrossing eleventh studio album, Tranquilizer, Lopatin ran down a selection songs that have defined and shaped him over the last four decades, from Winthrop to today.
—Alex Suskind, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
Langmuir defined this as scientific wishful thinking, fantastic theories contrary to experience.
—Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 13 Mar. 2026
Women are defining ambition on their own terms.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for define
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
Ahead of a global tour in support of Oneohtrix’s engrossing eleventh studio album, Tranquilizer, Lopatin ran down a selection songs that have defined and shaped him over the last four decades, from Winthrop to today.
—Alex Suskind, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
Langmuir defined this as scientific wishful thinking, fantastic theories contrary to experience.
—Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 13 Mar. 2026
Women are defining ambition on their own terms.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for define
Recent Examples of Synonyms for define
Verb
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Shane traces that fear back to a specific moment in eighth grade, in a Claire’s on the Upper West Side.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
14 Mar. 2026
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Police traced the car through a license plate reader system to Starks’s girlfriend.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Running through Reiner's pantheon of successful films, Crystal described a vibrant artist and passionate activist whose wit and comedy delighted audiences for decades.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
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Foundation unveiled the Phantom Mk-I in October 2025, describing it as a humanoid robot designed specifically for military use.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Conversely, toxic families are characterized by harmful behaviors that damage the emotional and psychological well-being of family members.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
15 Mar. 2026
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The case, defense attorney Blake Burns told jurors, is about the government trying to characterize protesters as terrorists in order to put them in prison.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nesta also wrote on Facebook that Delgado had once donated to one of his prior campaigns, but did not specify which campaign nor the value of the donation.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Mar. 2026
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No back orders, unless specified by the individual vendor.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Aspects of the conduct outlined in Moskin’s article are old news.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
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Labor market anxiety was on full display last month when markets dropped on a Citrini Research report outlining an extreme scenario where AI disrupted every manner of knowledge jobs faster than the economy and policymakers could manage the transition.—
Conor Sen,
Twin Cities,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At the time, several regional experts told me that top security and political figures inside the Iraqi Shiite militias and the Houthis were limiting their use of technology, using burner phones and spending minimal time online to prevent Israel from tracking them.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
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That mismatch has long limited how efficiently engineers can combine their output.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the film, Buckley portrays William Shakespeare's wife, who grapples with grief after losing their son, Hamnet, to the plague.—
Angeline Jane Bernabe,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
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With his leading-man looks nerded down with spectacles, science T-shirts and a planet Earth hacky sack, Gosling portrays Grace as a teacher way out of his element amid hardcore NASA types.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The projection of Earth’s equator delineates the celestial equator, and the poles project onto the north and south celestial poles.—
Vahe Peroomian,
The Conversation,
5 Mar. 2026
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Even the cream leather headrest serves as a studio backdrop to delineate his silhouette from the rest of the image.—
Christopher Anderson,
Vanity Fair,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Define.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/define. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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