1
as in tracing
to draw or make apparent the outline of
she carefully outlined the tree before she started drawing in the leaves
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in summarizing
to make into a short statement of the main points (as of a report)
outlined the important points in the introduction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 outlining
The latter provided her with a five- to 10-page document outlining resources and procedures and confirmed that the phenomenon is skyrocketing.
—
Albinson Linares, NBC news, 4 June 2026
Instead, Villa spoke to Rogers’ representatives, explaining the plan and outlining their intentions to increase his pay.
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Illinois rideshare drivers could soon collectively bargain with Uber and Lyft after the state General Assembly passed legislation early yesterday outlining a path toward unionization.
—Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
In recent days, council members Charles Lauersdorf and Macy Hill posted information on Facebook outlining the types of mobility devices that are permitted in Fort Worth, and where those devices can be operated.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
This led to the 1947 framework outlining ethically acceptable human research called the Nuremberg Code, written by a panel of American judges.
—Jennifer McCurdy, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
Before the deal was finalized, Eli was asked to craft a statement outlining his testimony.
—Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
In a statement, Comcast urged customers to be cautious about return requests and directed them to online resources outlining common scams, including this return scheme.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 1 June 2026
Officials showed a video outlining environmental protection measures for the highway, including environmental monitoring of a 50‑kilometer-wide (31-mile-wide) strip on each side of the road along its entire length.
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
Albinson Linares, NBC news, 4 June 2026
Instead, Villa spoke to Rogers’ representatives, explaining the plan and outlining their intentions to increase his pay.
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Illinois rideshare drivers could soon collectively bargain with Uber and Lyft after the state General Assembly passed legislation early yesterday outlining a path toward unionization.
—Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
In recent days, council members Charles Lauersdorf and Macy Hill posted information on Facebook outlining the types of mobility devices that are permitted in Fort Worth, and where those devices can be operated.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
This led to the 1947 framework outlining ethically acceptable human research called the Nuremberg Code, written by a panel of American judges.
—Jennifer McCurdy, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
Before the deal was finalized, Eli was asked to craft a statement outlining his testimony.
—Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
In a statement, Comcast urged customers to be cautious about return requests and directed them to online resources outlining common scams, including this return scheme.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 1 June 2026
Officials showed a video outlining environmental protection measures for the highway, including environmental monitoring of a 50‑kilometer-wide (31-mile-wide) strip on each side of the road along its entire length.
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outlining
Verb
-
Lincoln's life and death had a lasting impact on the future president, historians Douglas Brinkley and Harold Holzer wrote in an exclusive piece for USA TODAY, tracing how a portrait of Lincoln later became Roosevelt's moral compass.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Sound of Falling, Mascha Schilinski’s experimental period drama tracing the lives of four young women from four different epochs in rural East Germany, swept the German Film Awards, the Lolas, winning 10 Lolas including best film and best director for Schilinski.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Copilot and the assistants built into enterprise software are already fielding questions about your category, summarizing your reputation and recommending vendors on your behalf.—
Anisha Chawla,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
Google is typically used for direct questions or transactions, while ChatGPT is used for summarizing information, making comparisons and drafting materials, Semrush said in an email to CNN.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
According to Mike, that freedom became one of the collection’s defining characteristics.—
Laura Jackson,
Vogue,
3 June 2026
-
An iconic style from the brand hailing from the fall 2016 runway, the Kiki has amassed a legion of celebrity fans who have embraced the silhouette’s defining platform, towering block heel and unique buckle design leaving oval cut outs.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outlining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outlining. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
