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
This month, the White House released the 2025 United States Counterterrorism Strategy document, outlining its priorities and approach to protecting the homeland.
—
Odette Yousef, NPR, 27 May 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
Officials are outlining next steps after a stormwater overflow from last Wednesday's flood killed thousands of fish in the Chattahoochee River.
—Monique John, CBS News, 26 May 2026
The administration is working with Tehran on crafting a memorandum of understanding outlining the principles of the peace plan.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 25 May 2026
Begin by compiling your ideal customer profile, brand guidelines, and a detailed voice note outlining your actual process.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Owner Acun Ilicali gave an interview to Sky Sports on Wednesday outlining how his team have been disadvantaged by the delay in knowing their opponent.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 21 May 2026
The securities filing, known as an S-1, provides an unprecedented look under the hood of a company ahead of an IPO, outlining revenue, capital spending, litigation risks and other factors for potential investors to consider.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 20 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
Odette Yousef, NPR, 27 May 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
Officials are outlining next steps after a stormwater overflow from last Wednesday's flood killed thousands of fish in the Chattahoochee River.
—Monique John, CBS News, 26 May 2026
The administration is working with Tehran on crafting a memorandum of understanding outlining the principles of the peace plan.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 25 May 2026
Begin by compiling your ideal customer profile, brand guidelines, and a detailed voice note outlining your actual process.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Owner Acun Ilicali gave an interview to Sky Sports on Wednesday outlining how his team have been disadvantaged by the delay in knowing their opponent.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 21 May 2026
The securities filing, known as an S-1, provides an unprecedented look under the hood of a company ahead of an IPO, outlining revenue, capital spending, litigation risks and other factors for potential investors to consider.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 20 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
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
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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
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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
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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 4 Jun. 2026.
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