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outline

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun outline differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of outline are contour, profile, and silhouette. While all these words mean "the line that bounds and gives form to something," outline applies to a line marking the outer limits or edges of a body or mass.

traced the outline of his hand

When might contour be a better fit than outline?

The meanings of contour and outline largely overlap; however, contour stresses the quality of an outline or a bounding surface as being smooth, jagged, curving, or sharply angled.

a car with flowing contours

When can profile be used instead of outline?

In some situations, the words profile and outline are roughly equivalent. However, profile suggests a varied and sharply defined outline against a lighter background.

a portrait of her face in profile

When is it sensible to use silhouette instead of outline?

The synonyms silhouette and outline are sometimes interchangeable, but silhouette suggests a shape especially of a head or figure with all detail blacked out in shadow leaving only the outline clearly defined.

photograph in silhouette against a bright sky

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 outline
Verb
The robot vacuum came with a user manual that outlined the setup instructions. Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 19 May 2025 The momentum follows a landmark report released by the Princess of Wales last year, which outlined the urgent need to prioritize the early years. Simon Perry, People.com, 18 May 2025
Noun
Her pink lipstick, drawn far beyond the outline of her mouth, smiled without her. Patricia Lockwood, New Yorker, 18 May 2025 Published on May 12, 2025 By Jonny Lieberman Photo : Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC Photo : Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC Aston Martin’s chief creative officer, Marek Reichman, likens the Vantage Roadster’s outline to that of a shark. Jonny Lieberman, Robb Report, 12 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for outline
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outline
Verb
  • Today, the Trump Administration’s theatre of cruelty toward immigrants can be traced to any number of root causes, including racist nostalgia, economic insecurity, and far-right Christian nationalism.
    Michael Luo, New Yorker, 20 May 2025
  • Wembley indeed shook and a first significant trophy for a club whose roots trace back to 1861 was the sort of beauty football needs.
    Phil Hay, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • Professionals across industries rely on these systems to draft emails, generate reports, summarize data, and even brainstorm ideas.
    Robert B. Tucker, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • In a recent review paper, our team summarized how chronic stress is a hidden but powerful factor underlying cognitive aging, or the speed at which your cognitive performance slows down with age.
    Jennifer E. Graham-Engeland, The Conversation, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • The sleeveless silhouette featured a square neckline and structured seams that emphasized the waist.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 24 May 2025
  • The wrap silhouette is flattering, and the V-neck is appropriate for day or night wear.
    Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • Trump will invoke the Defense Production Act to declare a national emergency due to U.S. dependence on Russia and China for enriched uranium, nuclear fuel processing and inputs for advance reactors, according to a draft summary viewed by Reuters.
    Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 23 May 2025
  • Trump’s other orders would also ease the regulatory process on approving new reactors and strengthening fuel supply chains, according to a draft summary obtained by Reuters.
    Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • Around the world, access to finance remains a persistent form of inequality—defined not only by whether people can open bank accounts, but by whether they are treated fairly within the system.
    Christopher Marquis, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
  • Morrison, along with the Doors, were early pioneers of the psychedelic blues-rock that would define the late 1960s and early 1970s.
    Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • And while the cabin may not be the most conventional place to blend or apply contour, landing glam may just be worth the little bit of turbulence.
    Isabelle Rodney, CNN Money, 20 May 2025
  • Doing so releases ratcheting mechanisms on either side, thus allowing the back and sides of the helmet to move in until the padded lining rests firmly against the contours of your head.
    Ben Coxworth May 16, New Atlas, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • While Robert Zubrin sketched out blueprints to construct a web of domes using super-strength Kevlar, Wordsworth made the remarkable discovery that hemispheres built of silica aerogel would heat up the interior by 50 degrees Kelvin, above the melting point of frozen H2O along the Martian equator.
    Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
  • Inasmuch as emotional arcs are pitched toward the extreme, domestic and work settings are sketched with a keen anecdotal eye and enlivened with compelling details.
    Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Outline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outline. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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