as in interpretive
serving to explain
an illustrative analogy in which the relationship between God and humanity is likened to that between a shepherd and his flock
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illustrative
Their zone time in Game 6 was illustrative.
—
Josh Yohe, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
That’s illustrative, not guaranteed, and real returns will vary with market conditions.
—Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
But last night was illustrative of his season so far.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Maps may show metro lines in different colors, but that’s usually just for illustrative purposes.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illustrative
Josh Yohe, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
That’s illustrative, not guaranteed, and real returns will vary with market conditions.
—Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
But last night was illustrative of his season so far.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Maps may show metro lines in different colors, but that’s usually just for illustrative purposes.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illustrative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illustrative
Adjective
-
One of the night’s earliest auditions came from a barefoot interpretive dancer named Aggy, who attempted to tell a story entirely through movement and body language.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
-
The 30th anniversary open house includes interpretive stations at locations around the prairie, with attendees invited to bike, drive or hike from each trailhead to learn about the bison project, prairie restoration and how grazing and agriculture help restoration efforts.—
Melinda Moore,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Emmie’s condition is an interpretative riddle for both her parents and the reader.—
Giles Harvey,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Will the academy troll Chalamet (and the rest of us) with an interpretative dance performance?—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Hybrid lanterns that meet the aforementioned criteria are indeed out there, waiting to illuminate your next campsite, glamping trip, picnic, late-night reading session, or simply to add a little illuminative flare to that embarrassingly barren bookshelf in time for the next Zoom meeting.—
J.D. Simkins,
Sunset Magazine,
17 Feb. 2022
-
Along the way, Robbins spices his story through illuminative moments and mini-biographies.—
OregonLive.com,
OregonLive.com,
14 Oct. 2017
Adjective
-
The strangest glitch was the way the supposedly reddish color of the opening and closing words of Blade Runner 2049’s opening explanatory text took on a distinctly brown tone.—
John Archer,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
His work blends data-visualization with explanatory graphics and motion graphics, covering everything from breaking news to politics to sports.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illustrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illustrative. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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