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
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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 average 13-inch laptop display is a bit too small for displaying finer details like engineering drawings or technical illustrations.
—
Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Sibley spent nearly a year working on the digital illustrations for the collection.
—Sarah Raza, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2026
There are playful illustrations of some of Lennon and Ono’s ideas as well, and more subtle, non-AI graphic elements (by BigStar Motion Design) that include color washes at the edges of some of the visuals.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
The restaurant is also impeccably clean, with pastel colors and playful illustrations and Chinese phrases on the walls.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026
Winslow Homer, a decade younger than Church, started his career by making illustrations for Harper’s Weekly during the Civil War.
—Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Costume designs a mix original illustrations and innovation The costume department took a mixed approach to making what actors will wear, combining creativity with the original book illustrations.
—Kansas City Star, 4 May 2026
Those are the games Price cited Thursday as the best illustrations of his skill set.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Freelancer Ivan Ehlers was also a finalist, in the illustrated reporting and commentary award for illustrations published in the Times.
—Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Sibley spent nearly a year working on the digital illustrations for the collection.
—Sarah Raza, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2026
There are playful illustrations of some of Lennon and Ono’s ideas as well, and more subtle, non-AI graphic elements (by BigStar Motion Design) that include color washes at the edges of some of the visuals.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
The restaurant is also impeccably clean, with pastel colors and playful illustrations and Chinese phrases on the walls.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026
Winslow Homer, a decade younger than Church, started his career by making illustrations for Harper’s Weekly during the Civil War.
—Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Costume designs a mix original illustrations and innovation The costume department took a mixed approach to making what actors will wear, combining creativity with the original book illustrations.
—Kansas City Star, 4 May 2026
Those are the games Price cited Thursday as the best illustrations of his skill set.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Freelancer Ivan Ehlers was also a finalist, in the illustrated reporting and commentary award for illustrations published in the Times.
—Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illustrations
Noun
-
The diagrams of passengers pulling out floatation devices and assuming crash position were presented with a crisp, legible aesthetic similar to the look of Ikezoe’s paintings.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
11 May 2026
-
Since the chatbot can also generate diagrams and other visual data, the new update should be a boon for students.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Professional commentators tended to see these developments in so many local terms—turning, for their explanations, to national histories, cultures and institutions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Today, entrepreneurs and managers can access explanations, frameworks, financial analysis, market research, strategy simulations, and operational guidance almost instantly.—
Dileep Rao,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
On this night, as Rashad posed for pictures in Bushwick, SZA was a few miles away in Manhattan, walking the red carpet at the Met Gala.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Once in the asteroid's orbit, NASA's spacecraft is slated to take pictures of the asteroid's surface and shed light on its composition, over the course of about two years.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Noun
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His furniture regularly commands staggering prices at auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s, while his architectural works are increasingly gaining recognition as some of the most important examples of postwar Italian modernism.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
13 May 2026
-
Well, there's a couple examples.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Certain graphics on this page may be affected by ad-blocking software.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
-
The brand is known for its experimental graphics that blend fashion, art and design.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
However, Lewin, the physiologist, is cautious about overextending the results and interpretations to every bird, given that the researchers haven’t looked at any migratory species.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
13 May 2026
-
In contrast, a decision by a judge is governed by stare decisis, the legal principle that courts must adhere to interpretations of law set by past decisions and that lower courts must follow higher courts when in the same jurisdiction.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
But these visual depictions of faith, and of the young protagonist’s inflated self-image, are also strengthened by Clichy’s judicious use of sound.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
19 May 2026
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This record remains one of the most haunting depictions of paranoia and psychological distress in Hip-Hop history.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Kofman’s article chronicles the path of such ideas from the fringes to the mainstream, outlining their influence on figures such as Peter Thiel, Stephen Miller, and Elon Musk.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
-
State Department figures show 6,066 — or 99% — of the refugees were from South Africa, while the other three hailed from Afghanistan.—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illustrations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illustrations. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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