1
as in to demonstrate
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to illuminate
to supplement with pictorial matter for the purpose of explanation or decoration
lavishly illustrated the monograph on Caravaggio with color plates
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to explain
to make plain or understandable
the recent devastating fire illustrates the need for improved safety codes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illustrate
And so looking at the Whitecaps’ run from 30,000 feet, it can be used to partly illustrate the tale of success on the men’s side.
—
Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Els took a South African passport from his jacket pocket to illustrate his pride in his country.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 22 May 2025
As the shot map below illustrates, since the start of the 2022-23 season, a large portion of his goals have been scored from in and around the six-yard box.
—Andy Jones, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The capacity to misdirect, in Biden’s case, or mislead, as happened under Trump, illustrates one of the magical features of the White House: the ability of a president to conceal himself in plain sight.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for illustrate
Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Els took a South African passport from his jacket pocket to illustrate his pride in his country.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 22 May 2025
As the shot map below illustrates, since the start of the 2022-23 season, a large portion of his goals have been scored from in and around the six-yard box.
—Andy Jones, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The capacity to misdirect, in Biden’s case, or mislead, as happened under Trump, illustrates one of the magical features of the White House: the ability of a president to conceal himself in plain sight.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for illustrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illustrate
Verb
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But hundreds of thousands of Israelis demonstrate against the war each week, demanding the government agrees a ceasefire deal to release all the hostages still held in the strip.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
24 May 2025
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In November 2024, Russia demonstrated the capabilities of its own hypersonic missile with an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, going on television shortly afterwards to boast about the weapons capabilities.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
Verb
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Getty Images What To Know The system works by illuminating a target—in this case, millimeter-size letters—with laser beams.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
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Cavers shined their flashlights along a rock wall of a remote island in India and illuminated a massive creature.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2025
Verb
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But in the late 19th century, Finkelstein explained, women who'd worked as nurses during the Civil War, even though not part of the Union or Confederate armies, lobbied for and won the right to be buried at Arlington.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
27 May 2025
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Here, again, the English translation fails to capture the historical and cultural connotations of the Persian, Bahari explained.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
Verb
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But there’s a difference between using AI to clarify your message and asking it to invent your story.—
Dr. Aviva Legatt,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
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Lawmakers in both chambers are advancing bills such as the GENIUS Act and the STABLE Act, aimed at defining stablecoins and clarifying disclosure rules.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Illustrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illustrate. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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