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
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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
Ken Burns has been telling the story of America through his entire career with genre-defining documentaries on the Civil War, the Vietnam War, and now the American Revolution.
—
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
There are few characters, minimal flourishes of surreality, and a complete lack of the outré whimsy that defined several of Lanthimos’s previous projects with Stone, including Poor Things and The Favourite.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
That tension really defines him.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
There’s no doubt that Saturn’s defining feature is its glorious rings.
—Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for define
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
There are few characters, minimal flourishes of surreality, and a complete lack of the outré whimsy that defined several of Lanthimos’s previous projects with Stone, including Poor Things and The Favourite.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
That tension really defines him.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
There’s no doubt that Saturn’s defining feature is its glorious rings.
—Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for define
Recent Examples of Synonyms for define
Verb
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The police went through his phone but could not trace the Rana Pratap who had tormented Barik.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
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The engine and chassis trace their roots back to the mid-1990s, steadily refined year after year until this apotheosis.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the early 2010s, Courtois was part of the team that discovered and described the Laniakea supercluster of galaxies to which our Milky Way belongs.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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Roberts Giuffre died by suicide in April, months before the publication of her book describing years of abuse.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Jim Trusty, Rozier’s attorney, strongly disputed the accusations, saying that prosecutors characterized Rozier as a subject of their investigation and not a target.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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At the time, pranks characterized America’s Halloween celebrations.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Trump did not specify when new testing would begin, stating only that the timing would be announced.—
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
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The streaming platform did not specify the time the movie will be available to watch.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In July, Wedbush analyst Ives outlined a three-point plan for Tesla’s board to rein in Musk, proposing the board limit the amount of time Musk spends in the political world, as well as set up an oversight committee for the CEO’s political ambitions.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
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Earlier this year, Crystal released its 2024 sustainability report, which outlined gains toward reaching its longer term environmental goals.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Sourcing Journal,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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We, in collaboration with our partners, store and/or access information on a user's device, including but not limited to IP addresses, unique identifiers, and browsing data stored in cookies, in order to process personal data.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
31 Oct. 2025
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The Federal Reserve has limited penny deliveries to banks and commercial customers, making pennies hard to come by in some parts of the country, Giant Eagle said.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At the time, Agnes had been working with General Mills as one of the women who anonymously portrayed Betty Crocker on the radio.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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The annulment, first reported by Sports Business Journal, came as a surprise, given that the parties had portrayed the deal as having been consummated.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The opening number remains a stunner as choreographer Ellenore Scott finding fresh ways of delineating all the major and minor characters and introducing the tensions that will further tighten throughout the show.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
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Consistent cadence and properly delineating sentences and statements vastly improve any output the glasses produce.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Define.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/define. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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