1
as in to trace
to draw or make apparent the outline of
the glass skyscraper's sleek silhouette was strikingly defined by the setting sun to its west
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
3
as in to characterize
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
a woman who is defined by her unswerving loyalty to her friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to specify
to give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly
let me define the task so that there is no doubt in your minds about what needs to be done
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of define
In a season designed to be defined by player opportunity, Liberatore has served as the textbook example of how to develop young players in the majors.
—
Katie Woo, New York Times, 19 May 2025
How Johnson, who has tried to position himself as part of the progressive vanguard against Trump in urban America, responds to these threats will define much of his next two years in office.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
The program's most exquisite capabilities are classified, and the Space Force defined requirements for the next-generation GSSAP satellites that would be subject to similar levels of secrecy.
—ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for define
Katie Woo, New York Times, 19 May 2025
How Johnson, who has tried to position himself as part of the progressive vanguard against Trump in urban America, responds to these threats will define much of his next two years in office.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
The program's most exquisite capabilities are classified, and the Space Force defined requirements for the next-generation GSSAP satellites that would be subject to similar levels of secrecy.
—ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for define
Recent Examples of Synonyms for define
Verb
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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
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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
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Inside the truck, officers found a smoke grenade, shields and other gear as well as documents describing a plan to incite a disturbance at the park.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
25 May 2025
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Nancy Preis, Opera in the Ozarks general director, will describe the new, state-of-the-art theater built with funds from the Walton Family Foundation at Inspiration Point outside Eureka Springs.—
Deb Harvell,
Arkansas Online,
25 May 2025
Verb
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The outline of the initial report — a contract extension for Crow-Armstrong potentially worth around $75 million — has been characterized as inaccurate.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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Scott, a former two-term governor of the Sunshine State and no stranger to working with the agency while battling major hurricanes, characterized FEMA as rife with fraud that does little more than write checks for post-disaster cleanup.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
26 May 2025
Verb
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The report also specifies that North America travelers increased 11 percent over the time period.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
26 May 2025
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Though the park did not specify what year the church was developed, scholars generally say that Late Antiquity occurred between the third and sixth centuries.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2025
Verb
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Physicist Matthew von Hippel looks not at the birth of the universe but at its destruction, outlining a disastrous world-ending scenario that makes asteroid strikes and Earth-colliding black holes look like kid stuff.—
Jeanna Bryner,
Scientific American,
20 May 2025
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On Monday, investors took note of the risks Moody’s outlined in explaining its decision to downgrade US debt to one notch below perfect.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
20 May 2025
Verb
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The prosecutor’s office has had to limit the amount of transcripts available to attorneys, since transcripts are ordered at cost, and has had to revert to collecting depositions virtually.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
24 May 2025
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The National Medical Association said the federal and state efforts to cut diversity, equity and inclusion is limiting access to medical education for the next generation of Black physicians.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
Verb
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories Tony Martinez as Pepino Garcia Tony Martinez portrayed Pepino, the McCoys’ farmhand who often served as comic relief.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
31 May 2025
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According to Salvador, Maje portrayed herself as a victim of psychological and physical abuse.—
Isadora Wandermurem,
Time,
30 May 2025
Verb
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This can only occur if both parties clearly delineate their skills and goals of their business.—
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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From 1875 to 1929 it was delineated by a simple circle outlined in chalk (hence the name), but today the circle is much more esteemed with presentation stands and roses planted in the shape of a horseshoe.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Define.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/define. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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