1
as in tracing
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
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2
as in describing
to mark the limits of
the river defines the town on the south
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in characterizing
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 specifying
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 defining
Period hairstyles also play a significant role in defining the characters of Elvira and Agnes, aka Cinderella, played by Thea Sofie Loch Naess.
—
Simon Thompson, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
And isn’t that about to become the defining ingredient of all future Hall of Fame voting, sooner than later?
—Jayson Stark, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
In Denver, Jovanina’s Broken Italian calls on a cranberry-rosemary shrub as a defining flavor in its Neve Rosa (or pink snow in Italian), served via its tableside digestif cart.
—Chadner Navarro, Vogue, 10 Feb. 2026
For him, corporate cultural failures aren’t abstract, but arise when leaders neglect defining purpose, allowing drift that undermines performance.
—Jason Phillips, jsonline.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Crucially, imaging revealed that the vessels formed hollow tubes, or lumens—a defining feature of real blood vessels that previous attempts had failed to reproduce.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 10 Feb. 2026
This is where affordability becomes the defining political issue.
—Josh Tanenbaum, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
Scientists are realizing the defining qualities that make up each cell actually lie in a cousin of DNA called RNA.
—Marlene Belfort, The Conversation, 10 Feb. 2026
One of the defining images of this Super Bowl run for Patriots fans will be a bloodied Vrabel, grinning after a celebratory headbutt from Milton Williams after a fourth-down sack that sealed a wild-card win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Simon Thompson, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
And isn’t that about to become the defining ingredient of all future Hall of Fame voting, sooner than later?
—Jayson Stark, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
In Denver, Jovanina’s Broken Italian calls on a cranberry-rosemary shrub as a defining flavor in its Neve Rosa (or pink snow in Italian), served via its tableside digestif cart.
—Chadner Navarro, Vogue, 10 Feb. 2026
For him, corporate cultural failures aren’t abstract, but arise when leaders neglect defining purpose, allowing drift that undermines performance.
—Jason Phillips, jsonline.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Crucially, imaging revealed that the vessels formed hollow tubes, or lumens—a defining feature of real blood vessels that previous attempts had failed to reproduce.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 10 Feb. 2026
This is where affordability becomes the defining political issue.
—Josh Tanenbaum, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
Scientists are realizing the defining qualities that make up each cell actually lie in a cousin of DNA called RNA.
—Marlene Belfort, The Conversation, 10 Feb. 2026
One of the defining images of this Super Bowl run for Patriots fans will be a bloodied Vrabel, grinning after a celebratory headbutt from Milton Williams after a fourth-down sack that sealed a wild-card win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defining
Verb
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Dive into the outdoor pool or sink into one of the hot tubs, take a test drive tracing the endless miles of evergreen treeline in one of the property’s fully electric Audi vehicles, or have the concierge arrange a fly-fishing session for you in the Roaring Fork Valley.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
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Rezwan Shahriar Sumit’s Master, tracing the rise of a teacher drawn into local politics in Bangladesh and moving from idealism to authoritarian impulses, won the Big Screen Competition.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Austin, 13, can be heard calmly describing the situation and asking for a helicopter to search for his mother and two siblings in a recording released by the Western Australia Police Force on Wednesday.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The other agents in the car continued to lie when describing the circumstances of the shooting to the FBI, including in a diagram that purported to show three cars in front of the agents’ Tahoe blocking them from moving forward.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Its president, Wolfson, is blunt in characterizing the settlements.—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
29 Jan. 2026
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The Conservatives, currently led by Kemi Badenoch, slammed Braverman following her defection, characterizing her as an inevitable turncoat and questioning her mental faculties.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Entire chapters specifying how nuclear material should be secured and what sorts of physical barriers should be built to protect it have been reduced to bullet points.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Include your name, phone number and email address specifying February Writing Workshop.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The city of Decatur is outlining the steps it's been taking to boost security at schools.—
Monique John,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
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But on June 8, 2023, officers issued an environmental protection compliance order to the company, outlining steps the company was to take.—
Kathryn Hopkins,
Footwear News,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Photos shared by the department show a silvery gray fox bounding majestically across a white snowy plain beneath towering, sunlit alpine peaks.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Mars is bounding into your partnership zone, which invites assertive boundary talks that protect your generous spirit while keeping agreements fair for all involved parties.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Still, the actress felt the weight of portraying a figure so beloved for her signature minimalist style.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
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Alberdi explores the tale from Ale’s perspective through the use of dramatizations, with actress Ana Celeste Montalvo Peña portraying Ale, and Armando Espitia as Arturo.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Unlike traditional sportsbooks, which typically lock bettors into wagers, prediction market users can trade in and out of positions before events are settled, limiting losses or locking in profits.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
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Early childhood advocates in California tend to err on the side of limiting testing as well, Fuller said.—
Makiya Seminera,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defining. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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