delineate

verb

di-ˈli-nē-ˌāt How to pronounce delineate (audio)
Definition of delineatenext
1
as in to trace
to draw or make apparent the outline of the man's roly-poly shape was softly delineated by the glow of the fire

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to describe
to give a representation or account of in words the story does a remarkable job of delineating the emotions that immigrants feel upon their arrival in a strange country

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 delineate While prosecution witnesses have refused to delineate between the Lachman and Palisades blazes, Haney has repeatedly described them as two distinct incidents that ignited days apart. — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026 Some of them act as half walls, delineating the foyer, or partially separating the family room from the main salon. — Paola Singer, Architectural Digest, 18 June 2026 City centers across Europe and Asia were anchored for centuries by ancient seats of royalty and religion, and delineated by walls. — Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 10 June 2026 So, during today's press conference, Ars Technica's Eric Berger asked García-Galán and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, who also participated in the event, if the MoonFall drones could help delineate a keep-out zone of sorts. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for delineate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delineate
  1. trace
  2. describe
  3. define
  4. depict
  5. outline
  6. portray
Verb
  • People can become infected in one place and travel elsewhere before monitoring teams know they have been exposed, potentially creating new chains of transmission that are difficult to trace.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Most conflicts between humans and bears are traced back to human food, garbage, pet food, bird seed, or other things that attract bears.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of trace
Verb
  • Founded by Kemmu and Nihalani, the company has positioned itself around backing stories described as authentic and character-driven, aiming to balance creative ambition with commercial appeal.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Other sailors described to CNN conditions unlike their previous deployments, largely because of the war, which stopped the ship from making stops at friendly ports.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of describe
Verb
  • But cultivating consumer trust, as opposed to pursuing rapid product expansion and chasing virality, has become a defining — and differentiating — aspect of Westman Atelier’s go-to-market model.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • This vector is defined by a list of coordinates, where each coordinate measures how much of a particular attribute that person has.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of define
Verb
  • The concept art is meant to capture the essence of the project and is not intended to depict final details and design of the bridge.
    — Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 24 Aug. 2026
  • His personal story of triumph following tragedy was depicted in the 2014 film When the Game Stands Tall.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of depict
Verb
  • In another video, a vendor who sells power and construction tools outlines the near-impossible nature of trying to import cargo into Iran, detailing a complicated supply chain that passes through several countries.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Gilbert also outlined proposals aimed at expanding access to healthcare.
    — Sergio Candido, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of outline
Verb
  • Tawfik will be perfect to portray the character’s inner struggle.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Gilderoy Lockhart is a major character in the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, who was portrayed in the second movie by Kenneth Branagh.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of portray

Browse Nearby Words

delimits
delineate
delineated
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Cite this Entry

“Delineate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delineate. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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