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
  • Tears traced the terrain of her face, curving around the high mountains of her cheekbones, pooling at her chin.
    — Reshma Kirpalani, NPR, 29 July 2026
  • Officials traced his cell phone data, reporting that his phone went dark during the hours of the crime, and then reconnected to cellular towers after the fatal incident.
    — Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 29 July 2026
Definition of trace
Verb
  • Swangy describes foods that blend sweet, spicy and tangy flavors.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026
  • The earliest cases dated to April and occurred in evaluation environments that lacked what the company described as standard safeguards.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 31 July 2026
Definition of describe
Verb
  • Unlike ancient Roman baths that relied on standing pools, Ottoman hammam architecture is defined by fresh, continuous flowing water across heated stone slabs (göbek taşı).
    — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • This season, though, will be defined by the head coach’s offseason evaluation of, well, himself.
    — Sam McDowell July 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
Definition of define
Verb
  • The artist duo Motus created the murals in each room to depict the connection between Kabutocho's history and its present, with palettes ranging from spring green to lake blue.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
  • The posting spree began with a post depicting CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins as trans social media star Dylan Muvaney—retreading on a comment the president made during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
    — Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of depict
Verb
  • The article outlines specific ChatGPT prompts for finding profitable ventures, structuring pricing for a $1,000 monthly goal, and creating a 30-day plan for success.
    — Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • At which point, the state had to submit a spending plan outlining how the funds were to be distributed.
    — Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of outline
Verb
  • Dakota Johnson and Ellen Burstyn will both portray Marilyn Monroe in a new short film, Flesh Impact, which released its first photos.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026
  • Elsewhere, Washington is portrayed astride a horse or atop a column; shirtless, in classical garb, or, more commonly, in a long coat and tricorn.
    — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 27 July 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 2 Aug. 2026.

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