1
as in diagrams
something that visually explains or decorates a text
this book on birds has gorgeous illustrations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 illustrations
Ditto the Hammer Studios output of the 1950s and ’60s, Bernie Wrightson’s definitive illustrations of the Creature, oodles of Gothic literature, Roger Corman’s Poe pictures, and Mario Bava’s retina-searing color creep shows.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Aniston released her debut children’s book, Clydeo Takes a Bite Out of Life, with illustrations by Bruno Jacob, in October 2024 as the first in a four-book deal between the actress, HarperCollins and Invisible Universe.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Concerns included graphic illustrations, discussion of drug or alcohol use and transgender acceptance.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The store supplied her with bondage pants, kilts, and T-shirts printed with obscene illustrations.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Each bottle in the Artist Series Collection showcases one of five bespoke watercolor illustrations by Bowers, capturing the spirit that make Heaven Hill Distillery unique.
—Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Sep. 2025
With crisp rhymes, appealing illustrations, and plenty of rereading potential, Dropbear is a great storytime option for preschool-aged kids.
—Caroline Carlson
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
This is the idea behind live fashion illustrations, the unique art form popping up at brand activations, weddings and even New York Fashion Week, which is right around the corner.
—Sophie Liza Cannon, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
The illustrations from 90 years ago feature various elegant gowns and outfits, including a floor-length floral pink dress, a chic purple tweed ensemble, and a glamorous strapless green-and-copper ball gown.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Aniston released her debut children’s book, Clydeo Takes a Bite Out of Life, with illustrations by Bruno Jacob, in October 2024 as the first in a four-book deal between the actress, HarperCollins and Invisible Universe.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Concerns included graphic illustrations, discussion of drug or alcohol use and transgender acceptance.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The store supplied her with bondage pants, kilts, and T-shirts printed with obscene illustrations.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Each bottle in the Artist Series Collection showcases one of five bespoke watercolor illustrations by Bowers, capturing the spirit that make Heaven Hill Distillery unique.
—Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Sep. 2025
With crisp rhymes, appealing illustrations, and plenty of rereading potential, Dropbear is a great storytime option for preschool-aged kids.
—Caroline Carlson
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
This is the idea behind live fashion illustrations, the unique art form popping up at brand activations, weddings and even New York Fashion Week, which is right around the corner.
—Sophie Liza Cannon, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
The illustrations from 90 years ago feature various elegant gowns and outfits, including a floor-length floral pink dress, a chic purple tweed ensemble, and a glamorous strapless green-and-copper ball gown.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illustrations
Noun
-
The tools included ChatGPT (to organize the campaign and identify marketing leads), Claude (for data tracking and analysis), ManyChat (to create direct messaging links) and Grok (to make diagrams that would help motivate members of her marketing team).—
Edward Segal,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The way to avoid these limitations isn’t to abandon quantum field theory, but rather to go beyond the perturbative approach of Feynman diagrams, and to perform the full analytic calculations demanded by the underlying quantum field theory.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Checking the boxes Rings and moons aren't the only potential explanations for blockages seen during occultations.—
Nola Taylor Tillman,
Space.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Other more mundane explanations of disappearances include weather, such as rogue waves, human error and more.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Lord entered the truck in competitions in Louisiana and Texas and loved to park it in front of the Henderson building to take pictures of it, Michelle said.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Some of my friends were pressured to send inappropriate pictures, contacted by strangers, and exposed to content way beyond our age.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The lawsuit cites examples of passengers who were charged or denied service.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The exact citation reportedly appears in a University of Victoria style guide, a document that teaches students how to format references using fictional examples.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
To wit and in other pattern news, a pink, purple, yellow, and teal graphic combo on a suit and wrap dress manifested itself on the closing look, a strapless pink velvet dress whose multi-color beading recalled the graphics.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
This new prototype expanded graphics to 384x256, allowed the use of more RAM, and ran at 8 MHz, making the prototype noticeably faster than the 5 MHz Lisa yet substantially cheaper.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Stanford Health Care has launched an AI assistant that helps its physicians draft interpretations of clinical tests and lab results to send to patients.—
Kate Ruder,
NPR,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The fall collections saw fresh interpretations of the grid.—
Andrea Zendejas,
Vogue,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The chain of landforms to the west of Kauai is so small that it was not easily spotted in the satellite images taken as Kiko roared across the Pacific toward Hawaii as a Category 4 hurricane.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Miami Gardens Police released images of dogs in the neighborhood suspected to have been involved in the attack.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Her comments come as Democrats face a leadership crossroads in Washington, with long-serving figures under scrutiny and younger candidates pushing for change.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Plenty of timepiece brands increased their prices, too, in response to those initial tariff figures back in April, according to Hodinkee.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Illustrations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illustrations. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share