1
as in to demonstrate
to show or make clear by using examples
she illustrated her point with a story about her experiences as a field anthropologist
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2
as in to illuminate
to supplement with pictorial matter for the purpose of explanation or decoration
lavishly illustrated the monograph on Caravaggio with color plates
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3
as in to explain
to make plain or understandable
the recent devastating fire illustrates the need for improved safety codes
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Examples of illustrate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rivlin and the museum decided to turn the incident, which captured international attention, into a teaching moment, inviting the Geller family back for a special visit and hands-on activity to illustrate the restoration process.
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CBS News, 12 Sep. 2024
Yet Boyd also illustrates the dark side of that story.
—Ben Long, The Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2024
The festival's lineup illustrated the wide expanse of jazz and improvised music, with performances from Dianne Reeves, Ron Carter, Bill Frisell, Terri Lyne Carrington, Billy Hart, Christie Dashiell, Allyn Johnson and more.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 12 Sep. 2024
According to our old colleague and peerless patent-hound Ben Purvis, now at Cycle World, these ideas are illustrated by CFMoto on its 1250 TR-G touring bike, which is currently exclusive to China.
—New Atlas, 11 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for illustrate 
CBS News, 12 Sep. 2024
Yet Boyd also illustrates the dark side of that story.
—Ben Long, The Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2024
The festival's lineup illustrated the wide expanse of jazz and improvised music, with performances from Dianne Reeves, Ron Carter, Bill Frisell, Terri Lyne Carrington, Billy Hart, Christie Dashiell, Allyn Johnson and more.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 12 Sep. 2024
According to our old colleague and peerless patent-hound Ben Purvis, now at Cycle World, these ideas are illustrated by CFMoto on its 1250 TR-G touring bike, which is currently exclusive to China.
—New Atlas, 11 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for illustrate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'illustrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Illustrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illustrate. Accessed 19 Sep. 2024.
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