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Showing Results for "penciling"
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  • 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.

“We’re not penciling in a recession or anything like that.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

Wall Street analysts are already penciling in strong earnings growth — not just for large-cap companies, but for small-cap firms as well, FactSet data showed.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 9, 2026

Though this list isn’t exhaustive by any means, and not all dates have been announced, there’s plenty to start penciling into your calendar.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2026

Fed policymakers had previously indicated in their September Summary of Economic Projections that they were penciling in rate cuts at both the October and December meetings.

From Barron's • Oct. 29, 2025

All day one Saturday the girls gave each other curly permanent waves and plucked out their eyebrows, penciling a thin arc over each eye.

From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko

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