skyline
Americannoun
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skylines
plural
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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 campus sits on the outskirts of Hangzhou, a former imperial capital whose futuristic skyline is just the first hint of its role as a global tech hub.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
"With the 30th anniversary of Diana's tragic death on the skyline, I've been inundated yet again with requests for interviews about my sister," Spencer said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
Sea, sand, spiked skyline, and mountains meet in one widescreen.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
The former staffers have sent “don’t you dare” letters to the commission, and one of them argued that the view of the downtown skyline would be cluttered and commercialized.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
Everything I’ve dreamed of and imagined is right there in the New York City skyline.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
He admits now many in China have "material abundance" and "skylines bristling with high-rises and streets teeming with traffic."
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Popular American streamers Darren Watkins Jr., known as IShowSpeed, and Hasan Piker both toured China last year, bringing visions of the country’s futuristic skylines to millions of viewers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026
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
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.
