1
a
: a rough drawing representing the chief features of an object or scene and often made as a preliminary study
b
: a tentative draft (as for a literary work)
2
: a brief description (as of a person) or outline
3
a
: a short literary composition somewhat resembling the short story and the essay but intentionally slight in treatment, discursive in style, and familiar in tone
b
: a short instrumental composition usually for piano
c
: a slight theatrical piece having a single scene
especially
: a comic variety act
sketched; sketching; sketches
: to make a sketch, rough draft, or outline of
: to draw or paint a sketch
sketcher
noun
Synonyms
Examples of sketch in a Sentence
Noun
He made a sketch of his house.
He wrote up a sketch of the plot.
There is a biographical sketch of the author on the book's back cover.
Verb
He sketched the trees outside his window.
He likes to sit outside and sketch.
She sketched the plan for us.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2023
Some of the oldest pieces in the collection line a hallway around the corner: sketches by Edmund Pink, oil paintings by Thomas Bowler, and a depiction of Camps Bay beach and the iconic Twelve Apostles mountain range by Jan Volshenk.
—Sarah Khan, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2023
Osage County investigators believe the sketch could be linked to a missing woman last seen in Southeast Kansas in 1991.
—Jean Casarez, CNN, 4 Sep. 2023
But Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden — who has recently interviewed Rader — hopes that the trove of sketches, which authorities obtained after his 2005 arrest, will help prove otherwise.
—Evan Rosen New York Daily News (tns), al, 3 Sep. 2023
And even though the caption for the video did not explicitly identify it as a sketch, those involved in its production didn’t exactly hide it, either: the video has its own IMDB entry, and some cast members even posted photos of shooting it on Instagram.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2023
Hundreds of charcoal sketches adorn the walls of Gua Sireh Cave, located on the island of Borneo in Sarawak, Malaysia.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Aug. 2023
The Saturday Night Live alum and host of Late Night with Seth Meyers is the older brother of Josh Meyers, a fellow actor and comedian who is perhaps best known for his work on the sketch comedy show MADtv and for starring in the final season of That ‘70s Show.
—Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 27 Aug. 2023
Fast forward to 2022, when the script idea resurfaced, and the sketch had become streamlined.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 26 Aug. 2023
Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2023
In fact, an electric GTI was firmly in mind when VW’s design team was sketching out the ID.2all, leaving us with an intriguing chicken-and-egg conundrum to puzzle over.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 5 Sep. 2023
Inspired by the 2004 cabbage weigh-off, Lawton sketched out handmade costumes and recruited five friends to join her in the flouncy tulle creations.
—Amy Bushatz, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Sep. 2023
People could sip lemonade, chomp on tacos, learn about ceramics and photography, get portraits sketched, and take home original watercolors or distinctive jewelry — all within a mile-long stretch.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Aug. 2023
Tool use also activates these neurons, and tools are often used in food preparation, eating and forms of communication (such as sketching precise shapes with a pencil or typing on a keyboard).
—R. Douglas Fields, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2023
Mason Gordon, then an employee at the movie and television production company Tollin/Robbins Productions, sketched out the idea for Slam Ball on a napkin in 1999 and first put it into action in a Los Angeles warehouse in 2001.
—Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Aug. 2023
Santamaria sketched the mural and traced the shapes for the painters to paint in.
—Cathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2023
That time, Joe sketched sketched out a cloud with a lightning bolt coming out of it, which the fan promptly got inked on her ankle.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 17 Aug. 2023
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Noun
In a court sketch, the That '70s Show actor was seen blowing a kiss to Phillips before being led away to prison.
—Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2023
Some of the oldest pieces in the collection line a hallway around the corner: sketches by Edmund Pink, oil paintings by Thomas Bowler, and a depiction of Camps Bay beach and the iconic Twelve Apostles mountain range by Jan Volshenk.
—Sarah Khan, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2023
Osage County investigators believe the sketch could be linked to a missing woman last seen in Southeast Kansas in 1991.
—Jean Casarez, CNN, 4 Sep. 2023
But Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden — who has recently interviewed Rader — hopes that the trove of sketches, which authorities obtained after his 2005 arrest, will help prove otherwise.
—Evan Rosen New York Daily News (tns), al, 3 Sep. 2023
And even though the caption for the video did not explicitly identify it as a sketch, those involved in its production didn’t exactly hide it, either: the video has its own IMDB entry, and some cast members even posted photos of shooting it on Instagram.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2023
Hundreds of charcoal sketches adorn the walls of Gua Sireh Cave, located on the island of Borneo in Sarawak, Malaysia.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Aug. 2023
The Saturday Night Live alum and host of Late Night with Seth Meyers is the older brother of Josh Meyers, a fellow actor and comedian who is perhaps best known for his work on the sketch comedy show MADtv and for starring in the final season of That ‘70s Show.
—Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 27 Aug. 2023
Fast forward to 2022, when the script idea resurfaced, and the sketch had become streamlined.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 26 Aug. 2023
Verb
Editor in chief Stan Lee would often give Jack Kirby the precis of a plot, then leave it to the artist to lay out each page, sketch the appropriate pictures, and even write the narration and dialogue.
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2023
In fact, an electric GTI was firmly in mind when VW’s design team was sketching out the ID.2all, leaving us with an intriguing chicken-and-egg conundrum to puzzle over.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 5 Sep. 2023
Inspired by the 2004 cabbage weigh-off, Lawton sketched out handmade costumes and recruited five friends to join her in the flouncy tulle creations.
—Amy Bushatz, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Sep. 2023
People could sip lemonade, chomp on tacos, learn about ceramics and photography, get portraits sketched, and take home original watercolors or distinctive jewelry — all within a mile-long stretch.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Aug. 2023
Tool use also activates these neurons, and tools are often used in food preparation, eating and forms of communication (such as sketching precise shapes with a pencil or typing on a keyboard).
—R. Douglas Fields, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2023
Mason Gordon, then an employee at the movie and television production company Tollin/Robbins Productions, sketched out the idea for Slam Ball on a napkin in 1999 and first put it into action in a Los Angeles warehouse in 2001.
—Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Aug. 2023
Santamaria sketched the mural and traced the shapes for the painters to paint in.
—Cathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2023
That time, Joe sketched sketched out a cloud with a lightning bolt coming out of it, which the fan promptly got inked on her ankle.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 17 Aug. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sketch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Dutch schets, from Italian schizzo, literally, splash, from schizzare to splash, of imitative origin
First Known Use
Noun
1668, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1694, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Phrases Containing sketch
Articles Related to sketch
Dictionary Entries Near sketch
Cite this Entry
“Sketch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sketch. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
sketch
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a rough drawing representing the chief features of an object or scene
b
: a rough draft (as of a story)
2
: a brief description or outline
3
: a short comedy piece
sketch
2 of 2 verb1
: to make a sketch, rough draft, or outline of
2
: to draw or paint a sketch
sketcher
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on sketch
Nglish: Translation of sketch for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of sketch for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sketch
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