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Showing results for "sculpt"
Synonyms

sculpt

American  
[skuhlpt] / skʌlpt /

verb (used with or without object)

sculpts, present (3rd person singular) sculpted, past participle, past sculpting present participle
  1. Fine Arts. to carve, model, or make by using the techniques of sculpture.

  2. to form, shape, or manipulate, as in the manner of sculpture.

    Her hair was sculpted by a leading hairdresser.


sculpt British  
/ skʌlpt /

verb

  1. a variant of sculpture sculpture sculpture sculpture

  2. (intr) to practise sculpture

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Etymology

Origin of sculpt

1860–65; < French sculpter < Latin sculpt- (past participle stem of sculpere to carve); or as back formation from sculptor

Explanation

To sculpt is to shape or carve a figure out of a moldable or hard material. You could sculpt a figure of your mom's cat or you could sculpt your biceps by lifting weights. Artists who sculpt are called sculptors, and the work of art they make is called a sculpture. You can sculpt out of wood or stone, by carving, or sculpt clay by molding and shaping. You can sculpt metal by heating it and pouring it into molds, or by welding pieces of it together. It's even possible to sculpt with balloons, twisting them into complicated structures or figures.

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Vocabulary lists containing sculpt

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.

The Murdochs declined to participate, but decades’ worth of archival footage gives Garbus plenty to sculpt.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

The manosphere’s sobriety is robed in strength and self-actualization, no different than the sleep routine, supplements, and squats that will sculpt the best version of you.

From Slate • Feb. 15, 2026

The collisions carve and sculpt the nebula, creating its intricate and textured appearance.

From Science Daily • Jan. 26, 2026

He advises us to sculpt our work selves so that we show up as “sanitized, professional, and bright-side” versions of ourselves.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

We blow on our fingers to warm them up and sculpt or draw or paint or sketch, or, in my case, carve.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

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