Thesaurus results for DEFINING

defining

verb

present participle of define

as in tracing

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

Relevance

as in describing

to mark the limits of the river defines the town on the south

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as in characterizing

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

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as in specifying

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

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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 defining The slice in your hand has a city of origin, a specific oven, a defining cheese and usually a stubborn local who will tell you everyone else is doing it wrong. —

Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026 Maika Monroe may have starred in multiple defining horror films of the last 10-plus years, from her breakout in It Follows to the recent box-office smash Longlegs, but no amount of scream-queen credits could prepare her for the gory terror of Victorian Psycho. —

David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026 The inventions defining the next era, in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, energy, and biotechnology, are already emerging from American laboratories and firms. —

Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 13 May 2026 But this is a story filled with irony, and here at the outset is one of the defining ironies of Jefferson’s life. —

Literary Hub, 13 May 2026 Our ambition is to create a defining work of cinema. —

Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 May 2026 The heist was one of the defining events in the art world last year. —

Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 13 May 2026 Managing that tension will remain the defining test for its periphery diplomacy. —

Yu Jie, Time, 13 May 2026 First developed after World War II, the approach to early learning has become nearly as defining for the city as the local cheese Parmigiano Reggiano. —

Max Foster, CNN Money, 13 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defining

Verb

This captures nearly six decades of the house’s cinematic vision in more than 1,000 images, tracing the brand’s journey from its 1972 debut to 2025.

— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
May 7 Health authorities in Switzerland, Britain, the Netherlands, France, Singapore, South Africa and other countries have isolated former passengers who have already left the ship and are tracing those who may have been in contact with them.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026