1
as in diagrams
something that visually explains or decorates a text
this book on birds has gorgeous illustrations
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2
as in explanations
a statement that makes something clear
forced to give several illustrations until she was understood
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in pictures
a two-dimensional design intended to look like a person or thing
the doctor sketched an illustration to explain the procedure to the patient
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4
as in examples
one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like
chose one essay as an illustration of the high quality of the collection
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illustrations
The document that landed Wednesday numbers 10 pages, with illustrations and cover letter — although supplemental material reached some 250 pages.
—
Sarah Todd, STAT, 7 Jan. 2026
This was a darker point in Bowie's career, expressed by Cordell through the use of grey, black and red in his illustrations.
—Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
The artist, married to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, wore a structured black jacket from French label Jacquemus for the publication's special cover in which her own illustrations have appeared.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026
Monster Hands’ illustrations feature the dark purples and blues of night lit by the yellow of flashlight beams.
—Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 26 Dec. 2025
Seldes finally did introduce The Diamond Lens and Other Stories,published in 1932 as a limited edition with subtly sinister illustrations by Ferdinand Huszti Horvath.
—Michael Dirda, The New York Review of Books, 25 Dec. 2025
The story begins with muted illustrations in neutral colors.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 23 Dec. 2025
Gorgeous, atmospheric illustrations by renowned French artist Grégoire Solotareff bring wintry warmth to Sylvester and Poppy’s world.
—Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
The deck includes 54 original illustrations, and the Swiftie in your life will find dozens of references to musical artist's diverse collection of albums as well as plenty of Taylor Swift lore.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
Sarah Todd, STAT, 7 Jan. 2026
This was a darker point in Bowie's career, expressed by Cordell through the use of grey, black and red in his illustrations.
—Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
The artist, married to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, wore a structured black jacket from French label Jacquemus for the publication's special cover in which her own illustrations have appeared.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026
Monster Hands’ illustrations feature the dark purples and blues of night lit by the yellow of flashlight beams.
—Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 26 Dec. 2025
Seldes finally did introduce The Diamond Lens and Other Stories,published in 1932 as a limited edition with subtly sinister illustrations by Ferdinand Huszti Horvath.
—Michael Dirda, The New York Review of Books, 25 Dec. 2025
The story begins with muted illustrations in neutral colors.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 23 Dec. 2025
Gorgeous, atmospheric illustrations by renowned French artist Grégoire Solotareff bring wintry warmth to Sylvester and Poppy’s world.
—Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
The deck includes 54 original illustrations, and the Swiftie in your life will find dozens of references to musical artist's diverse collection of albums as well as plenty of Taylor Swift lore.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illustrations
Noun
-
Dustin further diagrams all of this for the entire team in Episode 7.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
25 Dec. 2025
-
By working with a wide range of manufacturing industry data—from maintenance manuals and machine automation code to complex diagrams, 3D drawings, and process data—gen AI has the potential to establish new ways for people and machines to collaborate.—
Johannes Berndt,
Harvard Business Review,
14 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Like too many hack politicians, Wardlaw seems long on excuses and short on explanations.—
Robert Steinbuch,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Results appear in about 30 seconds along with clear explanations and recommendations.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For the rest of her images, Kardashian modeled the see-through lace dress in various parts of the island paradise, also including some pictures that were just part of the scenery.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Like William Klein’s pictures, Roversi’s incorporate accidents, light flares, blur, even damage.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In his petition, Kjoller, who was ultimately convicted on the firearms charges, alleges that all three cases included examples of AI use gone wrong.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Over 300 examples have been sold.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Republicans hold the most Senate seats Can't see our graphics?—
George Petras,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
On Monday, OpenAI inked a deal to buy $38 billion worth of compute from Amazon and will immediately start to access Nvidia’s graphics processing units.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The mid-century offered more literal interpretations of cave living, from The Flintstones (1960) to the villainous Bond lair, often hidden within or carved into cliffs.—
Leonora Epstein,
Architectural Digest,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Without an international framework, commercial ventures must navigate a patchwork of national laws and evolving interpretations of space ownership.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The movement is considered a response to the ever-present and growing sense of alienation among people, as well as a rejection of the traditional depictions of everyday life in Eastern Europe.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Pormanove, 46, was also known online for completing extreme challenges on livestreams, and his death drew public scrutiny for — and an investigation by French authorities into — the streaming platform Kick for allowing creators to share videos that include depictions of physical and verbal abuse.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Western counterparts often acknowledge them privately, even as public backlash from some European institutions and media figures ensued against Rubio’s candor.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The Mean Green’s best football season ever wasn’t even over before the major figures from that team left, or announced their intentions to bounce ASAP; when the season did end, moments after UNT defeated San Diego State to win the New Mexico Bowl, is when the great Denton flood began.—
Mac Engel
January 9,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illustrations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illustrations. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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