limning

verb

present participle of limn
as in describing
to give a representation or account of in words he limned the scene in the courtroom so perfectly I could practically see it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 limning Introduced in a state of drunken collapse, Anderson — fearful, bitter, despairing, protective — is quite magnificent limning different levels of intoxication. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for limning
  1. describing
  2. depicting
  3. portraying
Verb
  • Gilroy provided a detailed backstory for the fictional film, describing a young widow, a wealthy East Coast summer setting and a boy preparing to go to war.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • In 2019, Bolsonaro co-sponsored a bill that would have ended that requirement, describing it as an obstacle to development.
    — Gabriela Sá Pessoa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of describing
Verb
  • Adults, Yoshida says, drift away from a child’s heart as their perspective rises, and end up depicting their idea of what a child should be.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Your room key arrives with a sleeve of vintage postcards depicting scenes from the late 1800s era of the Olde Naples Hotel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of depicting
Verb
  • The Republican candidate for California governor is trying to make a scandal out of his Democratic opponent, Xavier Becerra, portraying himself as the son of Mexican immigrants.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Cruise is actually playing an actor, Curtis Markson, who in turn is portraying Digger Rockwell in a satirical play called Fossil Fools.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of portraying

Browse Nearby Words

limned
limning
limns
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Limning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/limning. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All