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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 hackers are now requesting additional ransoms from individual schools for this data, as one Toronto district outlined in a letter this week to parents and guardians. Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 8 May 2025 Passed Out The husband's pattern of drinking and erratic behavior was outlined in distressing detail. Darlin Tillery, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
Noun
Colorado license plates, adorned with the outline of the mountains, inspired those dark green-and-white uniforms. Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2025 Project 2025 — a conservative think tank’s outline for Trump’s second presidency — called for the dismantling of NOAA and for its functions to be privatized. Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for outline
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outline
Verb
  • The march traces the path from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the Nazi death camps in occupied Poland, in a solemn tribute to the victims and in honor of the survivors and their liberators.
    Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2025
  • For instance, Celia Ortiz, a resident of Cartago, Costa Rica, can trace her ancestry back to Miguel Maroto, one of the enslaved men aboard the Danish ships, according to CNN.
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • The National Climate Assessment is a major publication produced every four years that summarizes the impacts of climate change in the U.S., and it is congressionally mandated under the Global Change Research Act of 1990.
    Tracy J. Wholf, CBS News, 2 May 2025
  • The results are summarized in a report released last month.
    Jeff Opperman, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Noun
  • Bags, from the iconic Monogram to the new Miami Jacquard, take on a beachy yet polished feel, while the footwear range reimagines classic beach-ready silhouettes in unexpected fabrics.
    Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 9 May 2025
  • Worth decided what women would wear, not by creating new silhouettes, but by changing the business model.
    Brian Ng, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • But his summary of the key moment is a nice analysis of the risk-and-reward of shooting for the near post, rather than crossing.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 11 May 2025
  • Liquidity management teams adjust positions throughout the day using streaming market data, instead of waiting for end-of-day summaries.
    Murugan Lakshmanan, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • Sadly, today’s political revolt is divorced from the cultural and artistic values that define and empower humanity.
    Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
  • Returning to the wuxia genre that has defined much of his illustrious career, Tsui explains his approach to this latest adaptation of the classic martial arts tale.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • How Trump Will Change the World The contours and consequences of a second-term foreign policy.
    Antony J. Blinken, Foreign Affairs, 6 May 2025
  • Unlike other styles with a flat surface, these have a contour that wraps around the outside of your foot and supports your arch.
    Shea Simmons, People.com, 3 May 2025
Verb
  • But months on, the U.S. has still not produced a road map sketching out which capabilities Washington plans on withdrawing from Europe, and what the continent will have to urgently replace, a central European official involved in defense planning, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Newsweek.
    Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 May 2025
  • Third, sketch out contingency plans for the downside risks.
    Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Outline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outline. Accessed 17 May. 2025.

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