streamline
Americannoun
-
a teardrop line of contour offering the least possible resistance to a current of air, water, etc.
-
the path of a particle that is flowing steadily and without turbulence in a fluid past an object.
verb (used with object)
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streamlines,
present (3rd person singular)
-
streamlined,
past participle, past
-
streamlining
present participle
-
to make streamlined.
-
to alter in order to make more efficient or simple.
adjective
noun
-
a contour on a body that offers the minimum resistance to a gas or liquid flowing around it
-
an imaginary line in a fluid such that the tangent at any point indicates the direction of the velocity of a particle of the fluid at that point
verb
Discover More
A “streamlined” design is one in which objects that move through a gas or liquid are shaped to match these lines, and therefore reduce the energy required to produce that motion.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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streamlinesimple
-
streamlinessimple
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have streamlinedperfect
-
has streamlinedperfect
-
am streamliningprogressive
-
are streamliningprogressive
-
is streamliningprogressive
-
have been streamliningperfect progressive
-
has been streamliningperfect progressive
Past
-
streamlinedsimple
-
had streamlinedperfect
-
was streamliningprogressive
-
were streamliningprogressive
-
had been streamliningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of streamline
Explanation
When you streamline something, you're simplifying it to make it more efficient or profitable. When you think of streamlining, think of a bunch of streams coming together to form one stream. This word is about taking something complicated with a lot of parts and turning it into a simpler, sleeker thing. When companies streamline, they cut staff and reorganize to make the business run more smoothly and make more money. When an engineer streamlines a car design, he takes out all the unnecessary parts and makes the engine more efficient.
Vocabulary lists containing streamline
This Week in Words: April 6–12, 2019
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President Trump's First State of The Union Address (2018)
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Obama's State of the Union Address, 2014
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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:
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law two bills that will overhaul the landmark California Environmental Quality Act in an effort to streamline housing development in the state.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
The report added that the defence department is now working to "streamline procurement processes and production lead times" to address the shortages and "respond rapidly to a contingency".
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
To deal with shortfalls and delays, the Pentagon is "working to streamline procurement processes and production lead times, and to stockpile critical materials, components, and selected munitions," the report said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
There is only space to optimize, and streamline, and organize.
From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026
“They’re amazing creatures—the fastest birds on earth. They’re like shape- shifters, the way they streamline their bodies in the air.”
From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs
It eliminates an expensive requirement to build manufactured housing on permanent steel frames, streamlines environmental reviews, and incentivizes cities to provide preapproved home designs, which will simplify things for governments, regulators, and builders.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
The value proposition of generative AI is that it streamlines the process of communicating by skipping connective thought processes.
From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026
Spirit customers can file a proof of claim for their points, vouchers or flight credits through Epiq, a website that streamlines bankruptcy proceedings for companies — but they shouldn’t count on a payout.
From MarketWatch ● May 4, 2026
The governor signed nearly 800 bills last year, including legislation that caps the cost of insulin, streamlines California State University admissions and temporarily allows sexual assault claims that are past the statute of limitations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 1, 2026
It was a thing of graceful beauty even on the ground, its long curving streamlines giving it wonderful symmetry.
From The Black Star Passes by John Wood Campbell
Some of the latest aircraft feature cockpit windows that are also curved, to make the plane more streamlined, which improves fuel efficiency.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Daniel West’s adaptation hits the major plot points and select lines of dialogue, but has typically, unavoidably, been streamlined and compressed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
Ms. Rubel explores how they managed the relationship with the book’s publisher, which toned down Jewish elements and added streamlined, timesaving dishes to increase sales.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Their streamlined, fusiform bodies combined features characteristic of hexapods and insects with more primitive ancestral traits.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
Gripping with all his strength, Drum faced into the storm, his streamlined body minimizing the wind.
From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
Novo Nordisk, the Danish drug giant behind Ozempic, is streamlining its corporate culture and shortening its name as it tries to better compete in the market for weight-loss drugs.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
It is also unclear whether this new structure will result in financial savings by cutting senior roles or streamlining departments.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
The city intends to add 10,000 housing units downtown in the years ahead, which will require streamlining the development approval process to eliminate hurdles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
The school is calling the streamlining a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to reduce complexity within its largest unit that includes the undergraduate college and Ph.D. programs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
The outgoing government has successfully pursued a comprehensive economic reform program, aimed at streamlining government and creating a more competitive business environment, further strengthening Austria's attractiveness as an investment location.
From The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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.
