as in to describe
to give a representation or account of in words
he limned the scene in the courtroom so perfectly I could practically see it
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Recent Examples of limn
Haring limned his oval head, the topknot above a receding hairline, a pair of prominent ears and eyes staring out from behind black-rimmed eyeglasses.
—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2023
The soft sunlight illuminates sturdy wood pews, limning swaying worshipers in white gold.
—
Aj Willingham,
CNN,
15 Apr. 2023
Last Summer in the City seems to limn his own life: Like Calligarich, the novel’s protagonist, Leo Gazarra, leaves Milan for Rome and a writing job, and when that job disappears, spends his summer days at the beach and his nights drifting from party to party, woman to woman.
—
Vogue,
29 May 2021
Nonetheless, Democrats want to be perceived as favoring virtually universal suffrage, and to limn their conservative and Republican opposition as favoring vote suppression.
—
Andrew C. McCarthy,
National Review,
3 Nov. 2020
See All Example Sentences for limn
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2023
The soft sunlight illuminates sturdy wood pews, limning swaying worshipers in white gold.
—
Aj Willingham,
CNN,
15 Apr. 2023
Last Summer in the City seems to limn his own life: Like Calligarich, the novel’s protagonist, Leo Gazarra, leaves Milan for Rome and a writing job, and when that job disappears, spends his summer days at the beach and his nights drifting from party to party, woman to woman.
—
Vogue,
29 May 2021
Nonetheless, Democrats want to be perceived as favoring virtually universal suffrage, and to limn their conservative and Republican opposition as favoring vote suppression.
—
Andrew C. McCarthy,
National Review,
3 Nov. 2020
See All Example Sentences for limn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for limn
Verb
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Tribes describe the last of three waves of European incursions, nearly 85 years after Serra hung the first Mission bell in San Diego in 1769, as the most brutal.
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Rodríguez described scenes of children hospitalized with amputations and survivors grieving multiple family deaths.
Verb
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The world drew heavily from the paintings of fantasy illustrator Frank Frazetta, who depicted scenes of barbarians and beasts in conflict, of pulp fiction heroes, femme fatales, and fierce warrior women.
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Another star at a similar distance from Earth is Bellatrix, which shines at the left shoulder of the celestial hunter depicted in the constellation Orion.
Verb
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Matty Matheson, who portrays Neil Fak and serves as the show’s culinary consultant, initially believed taking props was off limits after receiving an email asking to refrain from removing anything from the show.
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Winkler portrayed his iconic character for all 11 seasons of the ABC sitcom, which originally aired from 1974 to 1984.
Cite this Entry
“Limn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/limn. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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