1
as in tracing
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
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2
as in describing
to give a representation or account of in words
briefly sketched the intent of the reorganization plan
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sketching
Humans should take the lead, at the beginning of a project, sketching out the rough drafts, and orienting the thing, before calling in AI to refine, or add, or analyze.
—
John Werner, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Digital paper tablets have been steadily carving out a niche for people who want a distraction-free device for writing, reading, and sketching.
—New Atlas, 13 May 2026
Instead, vignettes provide a meandering exploration, connecting past and present and sketching parallels between father and son.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Lindsay-Abaire makes a real meal of sketching the rest of the neighborhood association, played by a bevy of nimble theatrical comedians, though their own simmering resentments tend to eddy alongside the central Kyra-Elliot conflict.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
As the story goes, Helou and neighbor Ryan Burke — a tech veteran and fellow dad — dreamed up the concept during playdates, sketching the framework while their kids napped.
—Sandra Barrera, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
Throughout the day, people can’t seem to stop reaching for means of documentation — their camcorder, digicam, phone, at one point even a palm-size notebook where a young artist from the neighborhood was sketching one of the sphinxes.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
For example, the Zenacolor 74-Piece Drawing Set only comes with pencils and tools for sketching.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
After sketching her design, Bray created her own pattern and made a mockup out of an old bedsheet.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
John Werner, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Digital paper tablets have been steadily carving out a niche for people who want a distraction-free device for writing, reading, and sketching.
—New Atlas, 13 May 2026
Instead, vignettes provide a meandering exploration, connecting past and present and sketching parallels between father and son.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Lindsay-Abaire makes a real meal of sketching the rest of the neighborhood association, played by a bevy of nimble theatrical comedians, though their own simmering resentments tend to eddy alongside the central Kyra-Elliot conflict.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
As the story goes, Helou and neighbor Ryan Burke — a tech veteran and fellow dad — dreamed up the concept during playdates, sketching the framework while their kids napped.
—Sandra Barrera, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
Throughout the day, people can’t seem to stop reaching for means of documentation — their camcorder, digicam, phone, at one point even a palm-size notebook where a young artist from the neighborhood was sketching one of the sphinxes.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
For example, the Zenacolor 74-Piece Drawing Set only comes with pencils and tools for sketching.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
After sketching her design, Bray created her own pattern and made a mockup out of an old bedsheet.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sketching
Verb
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Its sparse consumption of material and the fact it is obscured by the plane of the Milky Way from our vantage point have made tracing this wind difficult.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
5 June 2026
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But Houston, Tran said, has professional epidemiologists who are monitoring and contract-tracing individuals anytime there is a vaccine-preventable disease that could become an outbreak.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Airforwarders Association (AfA) both sent letters to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin describing the far-reaching consequences of such a cutback, including supply chain snafus, diminished cargo capacity and lost revenues.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
3 June 2026
-
Crew members believe that blame should be shared equally between producers and financiers, with some describing it as a cautionary tale.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
Verb
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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
Verb
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The Christ-like image and a video Trump posted depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes were both deleted after backlash.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
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Wynn, who died last spring and for whom a wing of Zumthor’s aerodynamic structure is named, donated a Francis Bacon triptych depicting Bacon’s friend and fellow-painter Lucian Freud, the only Bacons on display in a public Los Angeles museum.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Among them was Viola Davis, who earned her second Oscar nomination for portraying Aibileen Clark, a maid working for a white family in the 1960s.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
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He's played by Jamie Hector, best known for portraying Jerry Edgar on Bosch and gangster Marlo Stanfield on The Wire.—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
Verb
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My mother sighed remembering, a faint smile painting her lips.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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And fortunately, Erik Bork, the director of that film, really wanted to check his own biases and echo chambers and invited us and others to help advise him on the script and to ensure that the script itself is not painting a caricature of the characters.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sketching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sketching. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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