skyline
Americannoun
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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:
The lavish estate features a resort-style swimming pool, private dock, guesthouse, basketball court, spa, expansive outdoor entertaining areas, and panoramic views of the Miami skyline.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Agotnes called the stadium experience "pretty cool", thanks to seats that offered a great "bird's eye view" of both the play on the pitch and the city's skyline.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
A massive real estate development that would include more than 1,500 residences, dramatically transform three city blocks and alter the downtown Los Angeles skyline was approved Tuesday by the City Council.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
The flames engulfed the roof of the building, set in the 11th-century landmark, blazing across the Ukrainian capital's skyline.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
The moon had traveled across the entire skyline when Pond finally stopped singing.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
Trump has spent decades tussling with residents and politicians over development projects that changed city skylines from New York to Chicago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
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
From Monday night into Tuesday morning, the supermoon was the talk on social media with enthusiasts sharing images of it along skylines and above landmarks.
From New York Times ● Jul. 4, 2023
Behind them we can see the skylines of the other four districts through enormous windows.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
He is skylined on the hill above us, facing us from 184 yards away.
From Time Magazine Archive
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.
