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
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Recent Examples of outlining
Gavin Newsom outlining his final California budget proposal as governor on Thursday, May 14.
—
CBS News, 14 May 2026
Earlier this year, Avery Dennison released a report outlining the results of its joint initiative with European textile collection and sorting organization Texaid.
—Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 14 May 2026
As per reporting by Artnet, Samms and Hadari signed a contract outlining the terms of their collaboration as well as any future production, which mentioned that Samms was the sole owner of the intellectual property of the fabric.
—News Desk, Artforum, 14 May 2026
Her presentation, which included a 32-slide deck outlining her position, was met with mixed responses.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 13 May 2026
Some of these statements were later cited in a court document filed with the International Criminal Court outlining the charges prosecutors want to bring to former President Duterte.
—Karen Lema, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Parliament introduced legislation outlining that any children Edward might later have—along with their descendants—would be excluded from the line of succession.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 11 May 2026
An in-depth look at strategy Four of the candidates submitted op-eds to our opinion team outlining their policies.
—Teagan Davidge, Oc Register, 10 May 2026
This week, Bonta joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general from mainly Democratic states submitting a comment letter to the Postal Service outlining their opposition.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
CBS News, 14 May 2026
Earlier this year, Avery Dennison released a report outlining the results of its joint initiative with European textile collection and sorting organization Texaid.
—Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 14 May 2026
As per reporting by Artnet, Samms and Hadari signed a contract outlining the terms of their collaboration as well as any future production, which mentioned that Samms was the sole owner of the intellectual property of the fabric.
—News Desk, Artforum, 14 May 2026
Her presentation, which included a 32-slide deck outlining her position, was met with mixed responses.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 13 May 2026
Some of these statements were later cited in a court document filed with the International Criminal Court outlining the charges prosecutors want to bring to former President Duterte.
—Karen Lema, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Parliament introduced legislation outlining that any children Edward might later have—along with their descendants—would be excluded from the line of succession.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 11 May 2026
An in-depth look at strategy Four of the candidates submitted op-eds to our opinion team outlining their policies.
—Teagan Davidge, Oc Register, 10 May 2026
This week, Bonta joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general from mainly Democratic states submitting a comment letter to the Postal Service outlining their opposition.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outlining
Verb
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This captures nearly six decades of the house’s cinematic vision in more than 1,000 images, tracing the brand’s journey from its 1972 debut to 2025.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
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May 7 Health authorities in Switzerland, Britain, the Netherlands, France, Singapore, South Africa and other countries have isolated former passengers who have already left the ship and are tracing those who may have been in contact with them.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
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But even summarizing the first absolute banger of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival this way threatens to boil the film down to its themes and its craft, the way Kris does with the original Camp Miasma, at the cost of delving into the experience of watching it.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
14 May 2026
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Fitbit's New Direction Won't Please Everyone The new Google Health app will be organized into tabs for Fitness, Sleep, and Health, along with a main Today section summarizing your info.—
Andrew Gebhart,
PC Magazine,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The slice in your hand has a city of origin, a specific oven, a defining cheese and usually a stubborn local who will tell you everyone else is doing it wrong.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
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Maika Monroe may have starred in multiple defining horror films of the last 10-plus years, from her breakout in It Follows to the recent box-office smash Longlegs, but no amount of scream-queen credits could prepare her for the gory terror of Victorian Psycho.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outlining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outlining. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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