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Showing results for "penciling"
  • present participle of pencil.

penciling

American  
[pen-suh-ling] / ˈpɛn sə lɪŋ /

noun

  1. work or markings done with or as if with a pencil or brush, especially fine or delicate work done with a pencil or brush on a painting or drawing.

  2. a drawing or sketch made with a pencil.


Etymology

Origin of penciling

First recorded in 1700–10; pencil + -ing 1

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:

“We’ll see how it ends up penciling out in the end once we start to see some real results,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 2, 2026

Eurozone GDP expanded just 0.1% in the first quarter of this year, with some economists penciling in a contraction in the April-June period.

From The Wall Street Journal May 29, 2026

The Federal Reserve is only penciling in one potential interest-rate cut in 2026, citing uncertainty in the Middle East as a reason to go slow.

From MarketWatch Mar. 26, 2026

The economic outlook has shifted considerably from earlier this year, with economists penciling in more growth and less inflation than previously expected.

From Barron's Oct. 13, 2025

“All right,” says the president, penciling in Annie’s name.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

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