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.
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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
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for limn
Verb
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The only real attempt in this episode to describe the difficulty of Maia’s position as Tallulah’s manager comes from Maia’s chirpy co-worker (Lauren Holt, a treat every time).—
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During the week, Aluko had described lying in bed at the height of the controversy, depressed and unable to eat.—
Verb
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The video depicts deputies struggling to enter before getting inside and arresting demonstrators, who had been broadcasting demands that Stanford place divestment proposals on an upcoming Board of Trustees agenda.—
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The video also appeared to depict the officers did not take immediate steps to ensure that Good received emergency medical care after the shooting took place.—
Verb
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Later that year, Ewing would first appear as Thad in the third installment of season 11 and would go on to portray the young deputy and handyman for 50 episodes until September 1967.—
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Newsom portrayed California as a dominant force in the global economy and vanguard of the technology and entertainment sectors during his final State of the State address on Thursday.—
Cite this Entry
“Limn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/limn. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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