summarize

verb

sum·​ma·​rize ˈsə-mə-ˌrīz How to pronounce summarize (audio)
summarized; summarizing
Synonyms of summarizenext

transitive verb

: to tell in or reduce to a summary

intransitive verb

: to make a summary
summarizable adjective
summarizer noun

Examples of summarize in a Sentence

I would like to take a moment to summarize the facts that I presented earlier. He summarized by saying we needed better planning and implementation. To summarize, we need better schools.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Some early testers have used Skills to quickly enter prompts to calculate protein macros in a recipe, generate side-by-side comparisons across multiple tabs while shopping, and summarize lengthy documents, Google adds. Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 15 Apr. 2026 Instead of asking students to define terms or summarize a concept when Wikipedia is sitting right there, the advice was to give them higher-level tasks—to evaluate different solutions to a problem or reflect on how that concept has come up in their own lives. ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026 In a news release, the UTLA summarized the tentative deal. Austin Turner, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026 The plot that spins from this opening includes a series of events involving philosophy, parenting, mental health, disability, romance and international art terrorism that would take several columns worth to summarize. John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for summarize

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of summarize was in 1832

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Cite this Entry

“Summarize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/summarize. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

summarize

verb
sum·​ma·​rize ˈsəm-ə-ˌrīz How to pronounce summarize (audio)
summarized; summarizing
1
: to tell in or reduce to a summary
2
: to make a summary
summarizable adjective
summarizer noun

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