as in to describe
to give a representation or account of in words
he limned the scene in the courtroom so perfectly I could practically see it
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Recent Examples of limn
The adjacent desperations of the Emory family are meant to limn the material and psychological effects of living under the threat of anti-Blackness in America.
—
Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2021
Nonetheless, Democrats want to be perceived as favoring virtually universal suffrage, and to limn their conservative and Republican opposition as favoring vote suppression.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 3 Nov. 2020
Her poems, which have appeared in The New Yorker for over thirty years, limn the legacies of history, in her home country and beyond, and reckon especially with the repression of women’s accomplishments, realities, and inner lives.
—Hannah Aizenman, The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2020
Also stuffed not inelegantly between the microcosmic doings are several larger incidents that limn the bloody and brutal history of the two centuries, including South American totalitarianism, European pogroms and the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina.
—Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2020
See All Example Sentences for limn
Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2021
Nonetheless, Democrats want to be perceived as favoring virtually universal suffrage, and to limn their conservative and Republican opposition as favoring vote suppression.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 3 Nov. 2020
Her poems, which have appeared in The New Yorker for over thirty years, limn the legacies of history, in her home country and beyond, and reckon especially with the repression of women’s accomplishments, realities, and inner lives.
—Hannah Aizenman, The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2020
Also stuffed not inelegantly between the microcosmic doings are several larger incidents that limn the bloody and brutal history of the two centuries, including South American totalitarianism, European pogroms and the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina.
—Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2020
See All Example Sentences for limn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for limn
Verb
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Room for Disagreement No matter their view of the Israel-Iran war, Republicans agree that Trump ran and won on the no-stupid-wars strategy described by Carlson.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
18 June 2025
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The 5-foot-8, 190-pound suspect was initially described as having black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a tan or green T-shirt and dark shorts.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2025
Verb
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Named in homage to Van Gogh’s Chair, an 1888 painting by the Dutch master depicting a simple chair, Bolla’s work is hollow, its parts secured to one another with foil.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
18 June 2025
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Some scenes unfold like boxing rounds, with Carroll's commentary bringing the script to life, depicting lawyers landing jabs and witnesses ducking and countering.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
Verb
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Oh Ae-sun (played by K-pop superstar IU, who also portrays Ae-sun’s daughter Geum-myeong) is a poor but ambitious girl who grows up on South Korea’s Jeju Island in the 1950s and 1960s.—
Regina Kim,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
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The feds’ case portrayed the mogul as a ruthless and micromanaging boss who, during the two decades before his September 2024 arrest, abused his larger-than-life status in the industry to control his employees and lovers alike through violence and intimidation.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Limn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/limn. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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