1
as in to demonstrate
to show or make clear by using examples
she illustrated her point with a story about her experiences as a field anthropologist
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to illuminate
to supplement with pictorial matter for the purpose of explanation or decoration
lavishly illustrated the monograph on Caravaggio with color plates
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to explain
to make plain or understandable
the recent devastating fire illustrates the need for improved safety codes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illustrate
And so looking at the Whitecaps’ run from 30,000 feet, it can be used to partly illustrate the tale of success on the men’s side.
—
Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Els took a South African passport from his jacket pocket to illustrate his pride in his country.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 22 May 2025
As the shot map below illustrates, since the start of the 2022-23 season, a large portion of his goals have been scored from in and around the six-yard box.
—Andy Jones, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The capacity to misdirect, in Biden’s case, or mislead, as happened under Trump, illustrates one of the magical features of the White House: the ability of a president to conceal himself in plain sight.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for illustrate
Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Els took a South African passport from his jacket pocket to illustrate his pride in his country.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 22 May 2025
As the shot map below illustrates, since the start of the 2022-23 season, a large portion of his goals have been scored from in and around the six-yard box.
—Andy Jones, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The capacity to misdirect, in Biden’s case, or mislead, as happened under Trump, illustrates one of the magical features of the White House: the ability of a president to conceal himself in plain sight.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for illustrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illustrate
Verb
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Other journalists had excoriated McCarthy earlier, in print and on the radio, but Murrow met the medium and the moment in 1954, demonstrating the senator’s smear tactics and stirring a severe public backlash.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
6 June 2025
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Not least the fact that clubs other than City will be monitoring Gibbs-White’s position, with the 26-year-old England international having demonstrated his value emphatically again during a season in which Forest pushed for a top-five finish for many months.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Getty Images What To Know The system works by illuminating a target—in this case, millimeter-size letters—with laser beams.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
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Cavers shined their flashlights along a rock wall of a remote island in India and illuminated a massive creature.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2025
Verb
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The smaller budget is in part explained by the expiration of one-time spending that came as part of 2023’s more than $70 billion budget that raised spending by nearly 40%.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2025
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And as one dad recently shared on Reddit, the days of explaining things with talk of storks or other mythical tales are likely over.—
Christian Dashiell,
Parents,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Use these prompts to clarify thinking, then test insights through actual leadership situations.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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While the wording from Van Duyne appeared to suggest that SBA funds would only be available to U.S. citizens, rather than businesses under foreign or undocumented ownership, the bill itself clarified that green card holders would be eligible to apply.—
Dan Gooding
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Illustrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illustrate. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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