1
as in drawings
a picture using lines to represent the chief features of an object or scene
made a quick sketch from which she would create a more detailed painting later
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Relevance
2
as in portraits
a vivid representation in words of someone or something
gave her boss quick sketches of the personalities of the clients he was about to meet
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in traces
to draw or make apparent the outline of
sketched the garden pavilion on a pad of paper so the homeowners would have a rough idea of how it was going to look
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in describes
to give a representation or account of in words
briefly sketched the intent of the reorganization plan
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of sketches
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
Fast cuts, wild sketches, punchlines flying like confetti.
—Jeremy Helligar, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Atlanta’s Kountry Wayne, who grew up in the tiny southwest Georgia town of Millen, was an early fan of social media, building his comedic act with sketches and jokes on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter in the early 2010s.
—Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Saturday’s second episode, for which ratings dipped slightly, featured a cold open roasting the former Prince Andrew and was ably steered by host Jamie Dornan, who appeared in sketches including a horror comedy about Jools Holland.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
Ryan, who is Orange County based, will begin the conceptual design phase of the memorial, including the preparation of detailed sketches and a 12-inch maquette.
—Magda Liszewska, Oc Register, 30 Mar. 2026
Thinking about fashion as a career, Schiaparelli hawks her sketches.
—Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2026
And the sketches have been done in other sketch shows onstage, live.
—Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
One of those sketches was for the iconic clock.
—Mary Eber, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 2 Apr. 2026
But Calle, like any writer, sketches her characters and frames their destinies.
—Elisa Wouk Almino
editor, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
In her pursuit of answers, the Canadian multimedia artist and filmmaker sketches a reimagining of manhood that is neither binary nor an alibi.
—Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
Through this sly trick, where doorknobs rise to noses and walls tower high above the hairline, Argento sketches a vision of witchy terror akin to early works of German surrealism.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
Drawing on his own diaries and Said’s unpublished letters and manuscripts, Hovsepian sketches both the portrait of a friendship and an intellectual biography.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
But at the same time, Hale sketches out a clear vision for Oura’s future that relies on institutions tapping the tech company for deeper insights into population metrics.
—Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 18 Nov. 2025
Newman sketches out the basic details of her emergence as a self-care guru.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Nov. 2025
Marc Davis sketches that influenced the very first attractions in California.
—Lindsay Kimble, PEOPLE, 14 Nov. 2025
Noun
Whale lusts after a hunky gardener (Brendan Fraser) and persuades him to pose for a few sketches; Julian, though bisexual, expresses no such interest in Lori, and any art-making turns out to be a gratifyingly mutual endeavor.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
Fast cuts, wild sketches, punchlines flying like confetti.
—Jeremy Helligar, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Atlanta’s Kountry Wayne, who grew up in the tiny southwest Georgia town of Millen, was an early fan of social media, building his comedic act with sketches and jokes on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter in the early 2010s.
—Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Saturday’s second episode, for which ratings dipped slightly, featured a cold open roasting the former Prince Andrew and was ably steered by host Jamie Dornan, who appeared in sketches including a horror comedy about Jools Holland.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
Ryan, who is Orange County based, will begin the conceptual design phase of the memorial, including the preparation of detailed sketches and a 12-inch maquette.
—Magda Liszewska, Oc Register, 30 Mar. 2026
Thinking about fashion as a career, Schiaparelli hawks her sketches.
—Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2026
And the sketches have been done in other sketch shows onstage, live.
—Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
One of those sketches was for the iconic clock.
—Mary Eber, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
Seidle sketches out miniature worlds on his Casio with the oblong abstractions of a kindergartener doodling on a piece of paper, his primitive songs existing in a kind of nascent pre-genre state.
—Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 2 Apr. 2026
But Calle, like any writer, sketches her characters and frames their destinies.
—Elisa Wouk Almino
editor, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
In her pursuit of answers, the Canadian multimedia artist and filmmaker sketches a reimagining of manhood that is neither binary nor an alibi.
—Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
Through this sly trick, where doorknobs rise to noses and walls tower high above the hairline, Argento sketches a vision of witchy terror akin to early works of German surrealism.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
Drawing on his own diaries and Said’s unpublished letters and manuscripts, Hovsepian sketches both the portrait of a friendship and an intellectual biography.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
But at the same time, Hale sketches out a clear vision for Oura’s future that relies on institutions tapping the tech company for deeper insights into population metrics.
—Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 18 Nov. 2025
Newman sketches out the basic details of her emergence as a self-care guru.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Nov. 2025
Marc Davis sketches that influenced the very first attractions in California.
—Lindsay Kimble, PEOPLE, 14 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sketches
Noun
-
Three tickets from South Florida split the only jackpot won among Friday’s Mega Millions, Fantasy 5 and Jackpot Triple Play drawings.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
-
On Tuesday night, the video board in left field at Wrigley Field featured a vignette asking people to guess a Chicago Cubs player based on kids’ drawings.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Outside of City Hall on Thursday morning, a black van with a mobile billboard displayed portraits of Metayer Bowen and bouquets of flowers were left on the walkway outside the building.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Elsewhere, Paula Rego’s two self portraits from 2017 show the artist howling through expressive pastel strokes.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Origins of this Greek watermelon salad recipe Chef Karatassos traces this refreshing watermelon salad back to its Mediterranean roots, where simple seasonal ingredients take center stage.—
Monti Carlo,
AJC.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Curated by Alex Gartenfeld, Irma and Norman Braman Artistic Director, alongside Gean Moreno, Director of the Art + Research Center, Perfect Nonsense traces Korine’s enduring fascination with the American teenager, the outsider, and the intersection of celebrity and authenticity.—
Robert Lang,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lynette Hooker's daughter, Karli Aylesworth, describes her mother as an experienced swimmer who has been sailing for more than 10 years.—
Cristian Benavides,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Raiff describes Ryan Coogler as his filmmaking idol and calls Coogler’s debut Fruitvale Station his favorite movie — but seeing the success of Sinners, a relatively commercial enterprise that won Coogler his first Oscar, opened his eyes in a new way.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The flashbacks to Emma’s adolescence, which Borgli films with some curiosity, are far more engaging than the film’s depictions of the chatty Boston bourgeoisie, which exude self-satisfied certainty.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Icons are ancient works of religious art, often depictions of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, saints and scenes from the Bible.—
Olivia Wakim,
AJC.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Culin also consulted with other scholars and collectors to produce his final report 14 years later, which includes over 1,100 illustrations and descriptions of 239 sets of dice from 130 different tribes.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The dark side featured the rise of Hitler, descriptions of Kristallnacht — when Nazi youth ransacked Jewish homes and stores in 1938 — and Nazi plans for the Final Solution, or genocide of all European Jews.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The state's defense argued that the law outlines the restrictions explicitly and that the state, in its mission of advancing children's education, has legitimate reason to ensure public school materials are appropriate.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
This report outlines the plant’s design, location, and safety systems.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the Tim Burton–directed gothic fantasy-romance the actor quite literally portrays a humanoid with scissor blades for hands.—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Lewis portrays Curator as a frustrated employee pushing against institutional norms and stagnation, balancing exasperation and displaying a knack for physical comedy.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sketches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sketches. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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