1
as in diagrams
something that visually explains or decorates a text
this book on birds has gorgeous illustrations
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in explanations
a statement that makes something clear
forced to give several illustrations until she was understood
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in pictures
a two-dimensional design intended to look like a person or thing
the doctor sketched an illustration to explain the procedure to the patient
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in examples
one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like
chose one essay as an illustration of the high quality of the collection
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illustrations
Images, audio, and video Our visual content, including listing images, illustrations, and video, is produced by our editorial and art teams or sourced from photography services and wire providers.
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ArsTechnica, 22 Apr. 2026
Santat’s illustrations begin with straightforward, muted sincerity and become brighter, busier, and more gleeful—filling every corner of the page—as Sharpson’s narrator becomes ever more unhinged, ranting about fish spies, fish disguises, and fish taking over the world.
—Elise Broach, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
The scent was developed in collaboration with Italian artist Olimpia Zagnoli, who created illustrations for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 20 Apr. 2026
Patel’s illustrations in soft browns and pinkish oranges are appealing, as is Avni, a brown girl with dark, curly hair.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
There are illustrations of political courage.
—Jim Nowlan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
During the visit, Harry and Meghan viewed artifacts that will be featured in the display, including well-wishing messages and illustrations honoring members of the public who were hailed as heroes for helping others during the attack.
—Helen Murphy, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
The newest Echo Show 5 Kids features the all-new Alexa+, so kids can engage in interactive learning conversations and co-create one-of-a-kind stories with original, real-time illustrations.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026
But at all stadiums, then and now, chunks of the lower level(s) on one or both sidelines are allocated to hospitality, according to these illustrations.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
ArsTechnica, 22 Apr. 2026
Santat’s illustrations begin with straightforward, muted sincerity and become brighter, busier, and more gleeful—filling every corner of the page—as Sharpson’s narrator becomes ever more unhinged, ranting about fish spies, fish disguises, and fish taking over the world.
—Elise Broach, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
The scent was developed in collaboration with Italian artist Olimpia Zagnoli, who created illustrations for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 20 Apr. 2026
Patel’s illustrations in soft browns and pinkish oranges are appealing, as is Avni, a brown girl with dark, curly hair.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
There are illustrations of political courage.
—Jim Nowlan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
During the visit, Harry and Meghan viewed artifacts that will be featured in the display, including well-wishing messages and illustrations honoring members of the public who were hailed as heroes for helping others during the attack.
—Helen Murphy, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
The newest Echo Show 5 Kids features the all-new Alexa+, so kids can engage in interactive learning conversations and co-create one-of-a-kind stories with original, real-time illustrations.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026
But at all stadiums, then and now, chunks of the lower level(s) on one or both sidelines are allocated to hospitality, according to these illustrations.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illustrations
Noun
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In these plans, recalled Douglas Vakoch, president of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) International in San Francisco, huge diagrams would be etched on large expanses of land here on Earth.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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An exhibition curated by Barry Bergdoll and Martin Bressani at the Bard Graduate Center links those three eras, giving a central place to Viollet-le-Duc’s lifelong fascination with moody renderings, exploded perspectives, meticulous elevations, and analytical diagrams.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Advertisement Allen also looked to provide explanations for his absence to his friends and students before leaving California on his journey, describing it as a personal emergency, officials told the New York Times.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
27 Apr. 2026
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Trust in the county is low after months of complaints about communications and explanations for delays.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Participants will board a 4-wheel-drive for a bumpy 13-mile tour with frequent stops for pictures, sketches and questions.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
30 Apr. 2026
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The following slide proved that the bribe worked, as Emma adorably smiled in her school pictures, and the results were perfection.—
Georgia Slater,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The addition of Hines and Williams are examples of how the portal can be used to supplement high school recruiting.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
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Recent examples include Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, who both tore their Achilles during last year’s playoffs after dealing with calf strains.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Artificial intelligence models capable of generating text or reasoning are typically built using graphics processing units from Nvidia Corp.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Nvidia’s graphics processing units are relied on by Google, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon as well as model developers OpenAI and Anthropic.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Both are deliberately broad — an open invitation for serious fashion swings rather than literal interpretations.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Similarly, news aggregators, such as Google News, present users with lists of news stories generated by algorithms’ interpretations of other users’ behavior.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For its inaugural season, in partnership with the Vasarely Foundation, the hotel debuted an exhibition across its lawn that drew over 30,000 visitors, and each guest room features a work by Dutch painter Roan van Oort, who is known for his textured canvases and raw depictions of the natural world.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
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Though several artworks from the 1600s may well represent Shakespeare, only two are widely regarded as possibly accurate depictions.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The meeting between the two dignitaries will won’t include a livestreamed news conference like those the president has hosted with other international figures.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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The large monetary figures Ingoglia unveiled during each news conference came from analyses conducted by the state’s Department of Governmental Efficiency team, or DOGE, which had requested budget information from and visited many municipalities across the state.—
Abigail Hasebroock,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illustrations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illustrations. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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