connect the dots
1 of 2phrase
: to link together logically related elements in order to draw a conclusion
trying to connect the dots in the investigation
con·nect-the-dots
kə-ˈnekt-ṯẖə-ˈdäts 
: done or proceeding in a series of simple and usually predictable steps
a movie with a connect-the-dots plot
Examples of connect the dots in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 2 June 2025
The emerging big question is whether lower-income red state voters who benefit the most from federal actions will connect-the-dots between Trump’s chesty predictions and their own eroding living standards.
—Mark Green, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2025
Ortenberg was an early champion of Moore, releasing in 2004 the Flint, Michigan firebrand’s Fahrenheit 9/11 — a connect-the-dots investigation of the George W. Bush presidency, the Iraq war, and corrupt wartime profiteering — which still stands as the highest-grossing documentary of all time.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
That complex game of connect-the-dots may soon reveal a picture the Bears would rather not see — Johnson, with a Raiders ballcap on, readying to work beside Newmark and under the oversight of Las Vegas minority owner Tom Brady.
—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025
But Sir Ridley Scott does not want to deliver a connect-the-dots lecture.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2024
Silliphant’s screenplay works hard to maintain tensions through connect-the-dots plot construction.
—John H. Dorr, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 July 2024
This is a movie that plays connect-the-dots with exorcist/Catholic/addict themes.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 June 2024
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Adjective
The connect-the-dots method of determining the frontrunner has led many to believe that Marco Sturm is the leading candidate.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 2 June 2025
The emerging big question is whether lower-income red state voters who benefit the most from federal actions will connect-the-dots between Trump’s chesty predictions and their own eroding living standards.
—Mark Green, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2025
Ortenberg was an early champion of Moore, releasing in 2004 the Flint, Michigan firebrand’s Fahrenheit 9/11 — a connect-the-dots investigation of the George W. Bush presidency, the Iraq war, and corrupt wartime profiteering — which still stands as the highest-grossing documentary of all time.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
That complex game of connect-the-dots may soon reveal a picture the Bears would rather not see — Johnson, with a Raiders ballcap on, readying to work beside Newmark and under the oversight of Las Vegas minority owner Tom Brady.
—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025
But Sir Ridley Scott does not want to deliver a connect-the-dots lecture.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2024
Silliphant’s screenplay works hard to maintain tensions through connect-the-dots plot construction.
—John H. Dorr, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 July 2024
This is a movie that plays connect-the-dots with exorcist/Catholic/addict themes.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 June 2024
Cite this Entry
“Connect the dots.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/connect%20the%20dots. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
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