defines

present tense third-person singular of define

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 defines Visually, Hornbill avoids the excess that often defines heavy-duty folders. New Atlas, 21 July 2026 The checking piece defines what constitutes a correct result before the tool runs. Terdawn Deboe, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 The department defines it as three hours for domestic itineraries and six hours for international itineraries. Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 20 July 2026 In Kakistocracy, Hanania defines populism as a fundamentally anti-elite form of politics. Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026 What defines the Nancy Meyers home aesthetic The Nancy Meyers home aesthetic draws from a mix of traditional design and relaxed coastal living. Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026 The higher rise naturally defines the waist and creates the illusion of longer legs. Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 Anna’s guess comes closest, and Ify’s is furthest, which Sam punctuates via the first instance of the song that defines this episode. Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 July 2026 This line defines Aldo as someone who sees himself as an active observer of both his own life and the world around him. Marta Balaga, Variety, 14 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defines
Verb
  • Nestlé traces its history back 150 years and owns more than 2,000 brands across 186 countries.
    Sam Birchall, Fortune, 20 July 2026
  • The company traces its roots back more than a hundred years, to Mellors’ great-grandfather, who ran a shooting gallery and a swing boat ride in the 1890s.
    Ryan P. C. Trimble, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
Verb
  • Whatever Washington decides, the letter describes a stack most companies are not architected for.
    Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • Sandy Dorsainvil, 49 Homeowner in unincorporated Dade Dorsainvil was at the TPS rally in Little Haiti soaking in the concerns for Haitian immigrants and describes herself as a community redevelopment specialist and cultural curator.
    Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026
Verb
  • Strada’s website characterizes the candidate as a successful businessman.
    Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026
  • Google acknowledges that regulators are open to adjusting the rules, but Walker still characterizes this ruling as a threat to privacy, business trade secrets, and even national security.
    Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2026
Verb
  • The gist is that Congress specifies the minimum set of nationwide protections, referred to as a federal floor, while the states then enact stricter requirements, doing so up to some maximum known as a state-level ceiling.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • The company uses whatever bricks and mortar a contractor already specifies, meaning regulators see nothing new to approve.
    Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 15 July 2026
Verb
  • Supporting those capabilities is a new AI-Native Smart Factory Technology White Paper, which outlines an architecture that continuously analyzes production data and adjusts factory operations in real time.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026
  • Looking at The Athletic’s player dashboard — which outlines a player’s role and key strengths — his profile is perfectly suited as the tempo controller.
    Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Verb
  • Over a century later, the Himalayan blackberry has spread far beyond the modest backyard bounds its importers envisioned, opting instead to take over indiscriminately and displace the native trailing blackberry (Rubus ursinus) in the process.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 June 2026
  • Oprah Winfrey bounds into view in a white dress.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 9 June 2026
Verb
  • Minka Kelly and Dan Reynolds Kelly, who portrays Quinn in Ransom Canyon, has been in a relationship with Reynolds since 2022.
    Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
  • Drawing on the testimonies of 255 workers across eight factories in Pakistan, the report portrays an industry beset by pervasive unlawful wages, excessive working hours, harassment, bullying, surveillance and intimidation.
    Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 24 July 2026
Verb
  • His fluid camera, observational without being intrusive, expertly delineates the safe space of Layla’s courtyard, shifting registers as things get darker until near the end, when jumbled night reinforces the tense uncertainty.
    Jay Weissberg, Variety, 17 May 2026
  • Wood, specifically Canaletto walnut, delineates many of these elements and unifies the apartment from entrance to end.
    Ludovica Stevan, Architectural Digest, 22 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Defines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defines. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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