Synonyms of illustrates

illustrates

verb

present tense third-person singular of illustrate

1

as in demonstrates

to show or make clear by using examples

she illustrated her point with a story about her experiences as a field anthropologist

Synonyms & Similar Words

• demonstrates
• explains
• exemplifies
• instances
• clarifies
• specifies
• cites
• analyzes
• mentions
• elucidates
• quotes
• expounds
• interprets
• adduces
• explicates
• illuminates
• details
• clears (up)
• simplifies
• construes
• enumerates
• spells out
• lists
• enlightens
• names
• edifies
• breaks down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• obscures
• blurs
• darkens
• clouds
• confuses
• muddies
• puzzles
• beclouds
• perplexes
• fogs

2

as in illuminates

to supplement with pictorial matter for the purpose of explanation or decoration

lavishly illustrated the monograph on Caravaggio with color plates

Synonyms & Similar Words

• illuminates
• visualizes
• pictorializes
• images
• pictures

3

as in explains

to make plain or understandable

the recent devastating fire illustrates the need for improved safety codes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• explains
• demonstrates
• clarifies
• illuminates
• simplifies
• interprets
• elucidates
• explicates
• expounds
• construes
• demystifies
• spells out
• clears (up)
• analyzes
• defines
• specifies
• gets across
• resolves
• solves
• deciphers
• decodes
• unriddles
• unravels
• undoes
• annotates
• disentangles
• untangles
• breaks down
• glosses
• unscrambles
• commentates

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• obscures
• confuses
• clouds
• confounds
• obfuscates
• befogs

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of illustrates

Director Josef Kubota Wladyka illustrates the pluses and minuses of Haru’s potent imagination, resulting in a film that’s sexy, bittersweet and absurdist. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Honoring Nigo’s work and influence, the exhibition analyzes and illustrates the cultural fusions that have shaped his lifework through fashion, music, and design — from Japanese craft and streetwear to vintage Americana and contemporary luxury. — Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026

Elizabeth Strout illustrates a kind man with an endearing earnestness about him who struggles with the fact that the world is not so simple anymore. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026

The push from key congressional candidates to end the war illustrates the growing GOP angst around a conflict that is deeply unpopular. — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026

The Southern District of New York’s case against Combs illustrates these challenges. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026

That joke, which McNamara hits with a palpable sparkle of smugness, illustrates how deliciously blunt her comedic sensibility is. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026

If the other jurors’ account of the holdout is accurate, the episode illustrates the other side of jury nullification, a familiar feature of American criminal justice. — Monu Bedi, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026

In its strongest moments, the film illustrates how the often contradictory desires for individual liberation and family connection are universal experiences. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 19 Sep. 2026