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outline

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun outline differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of outline are contour, profile, and silhouette. While all these words mean "the line that bounds and gives form to something," outline applies to a line marking the outer limits or edges of a body or mass.

traced the outline of his hand

When might contour be a better fit than outline?

The meanings of contour and outline largely overlap; however, contour stresses the quality of an outline or a bounding surface as being smooth, jagged, curving, or sharply angled.

a car with flowing contours

When can profile be used instead of outline?

In some situations, the words profile and outline are roughly equivalent. However, profile suggests a varied and sharply defined outline against a lighter background.

a portrait of her face in profile

When is it sensible to use silhouette instead of outline?

The synonyms silhouette and outline are sometimes interchangeable, but silhouette suggests a shape especially of a head or figure with all detail blacked out in shadow leaving only the outline clearly defined.

photograph in silhouette against a bright sky

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 outline
Verb
In a statement after the Jan. 29 midair collision over D.C., Doggett grieved those lost in that plane crash and outlined similar issues Austin is facing. Beck Andrew Salgado, Austin American Statesman, 4 July 2025 The complaint, which has been reviewed by EW, outlines how McGraw formed Merit Street as a joint venture between his other company, Peteski Productions, and TBN. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 3 July 2025
Noun
The pieces came together in 1978 when geophysicists Glen Penfield and Antonio Camargo discovered the outline of a crater hundreds of kilometers wide at the edge of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Kiona N. Smith, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025 There's an awe-inspiring moment in the final act where an outline shines through smoke. Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for outline
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outline
Verb
  • The Library of Michigan traces it to the Ojibwe word Washtenong, meaning Grand River, farther district or land beyond, according to Michigan State University.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 7 July 2025
  • While the first official Ranger battalion was formed in 1942, the Rangers trace their lineage back to at least the 1750s.
    Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025
Verb
  • The motive can be summarized as pure agency, pure evil; in other words, premeditated murder.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 4 July 2025
  • The ubiquity of that level of hit-making is summarized in Sheeran's TIME feature.
    Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Noun
  • This style from Gap emulates Moore’s relaxed aesthetic with its high waist and breezy silhouette.
    Izzy Baskette, People.com, 29 June 2025
  • Static deterrents, such as a plastic owl or cat silhouette, are not effective.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 29 June 2025
Noun
  • Here are some of the other key points included in the CBA extension, based on a summary of the memorandum of understanding obtained by The Athletic.
    Pierre LeBrun, New York Times, 27 June 2025
  • The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in the Miami Herald newsroom.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • If the Western frontier defined American optimism in the 19th century, the suburban frontier defined it in the 20th.
    Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 7 July 2025
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defined a heat wave as a period of abnormally and uncomfortably hot and usually humid weather that lasts at least two days.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
Noun
  • No matter the cut and contour of the songs, the answer is always fascinating.
    Walden Green, Pitchfork, 27 June 2025
  • Following more than 20 years of innovation in brows, eyeshadow, blush, contour and recently minimalist foundation sticks and a blurring matte foundation, Anastasia Beverly Hills is dipping its toes into skincare.
    Dahvi Shira, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • These predictions sketch a compelling future where predictive AI transforms R&D, automation elevates human ingenuity and innovative platforms redefine scientific discovery.
    Michael Connell, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
  • The exhibition begins in the early 1900s, when Duchamp was sketching, painting and largely abiding by the rules of the art world, as in a portrait of his younger sister, Yvonne.
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Outline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outline. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

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