sketch 1 of 2

noun

ˈskech How to pronounce sketch (audio)
Definition of sketchnext
1
as in drawing
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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2
as in portrait
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

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sketch

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to trace
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

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2
as in to describe
to give a representation or account of in words briefly sketched the intent of the reorganization plan

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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 sketch
Noun
Lawrence Lewitinn is building an AI-native archive for his great-uncle’s works, which will systematize the artist’s sketches, pigment formulas, poems and color diagrams, along with his notes on color, perception and theory. — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 But that all changed when O’Donnell reached out to Kimmel following the death of his beloved Uncle Frank Potenza, a former NYPD officer who’d made a number of memorable comedy-sketch appearances on his nephew’s late-night show. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
Such a sentence sketches a profound contrast between Europe as the cradle of refined culture—the Renaissance, high art, and philosophy—and Asia as the site of empires and violence. — Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 According to Dalrymple and Anand, the two spent hours sketching each other, and Duleep played with the royal children, becoming good friends with Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sketch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sketch
  1. drawing
  2. portrait
  3. trace
  4. describe
  5. illustration
  6. description
  7. outline
  8. portray
Noun
  • Lottery officials have not yet announced whether a ticket matched all six numbers in the latest drawing, leaving players across the country waiting to see if a new multimillionaire has been made.
    — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
  • These guardrails have long constrained the drawing of congressional maps.
    — Yuripzy Morgan, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of drawing
Noun
  • Other works set to screen at the BFI include several of Maldoror’s non-fiction films, like Aimé Césaire, A Man, A Land, a documentary portrait of the Martinican author Aimé Césaire.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The story begins as a richly detailed portrait of a woman who quietly accepts her role as the wife of a man who doesn’t recognize her value.
    — Ed Masley, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of portrait
Verb
  • Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which traces its roots to 1954, involved around 18,000 Korean troops and an undisclosed number of American soldiers this year.
    — Lisa Kim, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Wednesday’s State Department announcement also traced the collective to leftist groups across Europe that posted materials about their attacks on rail and energy infrastructure.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of trace
Verb
  • Anton, whose gaze at the couple can only be described as wistful.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • For the first time, Fed officials described the demand generated by AI infrastructure buildouts as something that could continue to drive up prices for tech products and electricity—thereby pushing up inflation.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of describe
Noun
  • Virginia offers perhaps the clearest illustration of what this can mean for an individual power market.
    — Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Subscription books were fancy and rich in illustration, not so much elegant as tarted up.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of illustration
Noun
  • On the page, Hig’s first-person descriptions of his everyday adventures, and of the waning natural world around him, had an honest, melancholy soul to them.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • She was stunned how closely autism’s description fit her creative, sensitive girl — her strong need for routine, social anxiety, challenges with communication and sensory processing.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of description
Verb
  • Together, the index and margin determine your new interest rate, subject to the limits outlined in your loan agreement.
    — Rebecca Safier, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The rewards Gates, ever the optimist, also outlines some major boons the technology holds.
    — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of outline
Verb
  • Tawfik will be perfect to portray the character’s inner struggle.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Gilderoy Lockhart is a major character in the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, who was portrayed in the second movie by Kenneth Branagh.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of portray

Browse Nearby Words

skeptics
sketch
sketched
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Cite this Entry

“Sketch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sketch. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sketch

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sketch

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