outlining

verb

present participle of outline
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

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 outlining News of the deal was first reported by Corporate Jet Investor, a trade publication that obtained an email from Solairus CEO Dan Drohan outlining the transaction to industry partners. — Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Going forward, Congress could pass resolutions outlining alternative strategies and regularly drag cabinet officials up to Capitol Hill to testify on the conduct of the war. — Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2026 While outlining his five-year military goals at the Workers’ Party congress in February, Kim also called for intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of underwater launches. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026 And, as high property taxes continue to burden Wyandotte County, people will want to see whether the state can pass any significant legislation outlining relief for low-income residents. — Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026 The one-year football scheduling alliance gave the Beavers and Cougars a temporary football home while also outlining contingencies for a deeper partnership, including the possibility of a future merger. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 4 Aug. 2026 The board voted to draft a letter to the Newsom administration outlining concerns and suggestions such as roll-out delays and the creation of a technical committee with the agriculture community. — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2026 There was a brief reprieve from fighting in June, when the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding outlining the process for talks to end the war. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 3 Aug. 2026 This month, a gay rights activist obtained the memo outlining the agreement from the Defense Department after filing a lawsuit, arguing that clarity was of public importance. — Jamie Stengle, Fortune, 31 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outlining
  1. tracing
  2. summarizing
  3. defining
Verb
  • And challenges around tracing the sources of outbreaks and capturing their full scope can leave many questions unanswered.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Lawati’s work is rooted in nostalgic narrative, tracing stories from his hometown in East Nepal to evolving realities of diasporic family life in Britain.
    — PhotoVogue, Vogue, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of tracing
Verb
  • For most, using AI means assistance with the one-off task in front of them, like drafting emails or summarizing documents.
    — Will Drover, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • There is a common assumption that AI closes the gap by summarizing meetings, clarifying requirements and translating jargon.
    — Nik Froehlich, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of summarizing
Verb
  • Intensity has been the defining word of Liverpool’s pre-season so far, with it constantly being referenced by any player interviewed about what has changed since Iraola’s arrival.
    — Andy Jones, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Bryant told Fortune the volunteer waitlist is growing by roughly 1,000 people a day, turning what started as an art project about AI dependence into a strange reversal of the AI boom’s defining anxiety.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of defining

Browse Nearby Words

outlines
outlining
outlive
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Cite this Entry

“Outlining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outlining. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on outlining

Nglish: Translation of outlining for Spanish Speakers

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