skyline
Americannoun
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skylines
plural
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the boundary line between earth and sky; the apparent horizon.
A sail appeared against the skyline.
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the outline of something, as the buildings of a city, against the sky.
the New York skyline.
verb (used with object)
noun
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the line at which the earth and sky appear to meet; horizon
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the outline of buildings, mountains, trees, etc, seen against the sky
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of skyline
Explanation
In a city, the row of buildings you can see right at the horizon is called a skyline. The best views of the Manhattan skyline are from New Jersey and Brooklyn. When you're near a city but not in the center of it, you can really appreciate its skyline. Officially, you don't need a full-fledged city to have a skyline, just an outline of land or buildings along the horizon. Still, when you think of skylines, you probably think of New York or Los Angeles or Shanghai. The word dates from 1824.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
From the polished marble floors and chef’s kitchen to the boutique-style dressing room and rooftop skyline views, the residence offers a glimpse at the upscale lifestyle associated with one of the NBA’s prominent young stars.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
Forestson lowered himself onto the mud to capture this common water lizard against the city skyline.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
A US real estate firm announced Wednesday it is buying the Chrysler Building and will undertake a vast makeover of the Art Deco landmark that dominates New York City's skyline.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
As that company reshaped the city’s skyline, Chesapeake took on ambitious projects of its own.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
“Welcome to human resources,” Craig said as he led me to his corner office with views that showed off the impressive New York City skyline.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
He admits now many in China have "material abundance" and "skylines bristling with high-rises and streets teeming with traffic."
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Tourists still lined up to peer through them at city skylines and waterfalls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
The movie opens with a bird’s-eye view of Los Angeles’ picturesque skylines, reservoirs and grassy hillsides before the bold-faced title appears, accompanied by ominous music courtesy of legendary composer John Williams.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2025
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published two studies Thursday about the health impacts of the smoke, which shrouded city skylines with an orange haze in late spring.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 24, 2023
She’s drawn cities there, skylines around the soles.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
He is skylined on the hill above us, facing us from 184 yards away.
From Time Magazine Archive
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
