- present participle of pencil.
Etymology
Origin of penciling
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’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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Definitions 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.