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:
On Wednesday, the company added that it also intended to cut 40 percent of management posts to streamline decision-making.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
He said another area of opportunity is software and data-service startups that aim to streamline operations in industries like finance, real estate and healthcare.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
The Treasury Department’s auto-enrollment is meant to streamline the process, but it also creates new questions for families.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
One of them is Charter Amendment PL, a package of five proposals that would streamline certain parts of the Planning Department, which controls land use, signs off on construction and renovation projects and guides growth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 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
Assembly Bill 2555 dismantles and streamlines an aging system that some researchers said kept far too many students classified as English learners months or even years after mastering the language.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 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
In his view, the decision streamlines the company’s operating portfolio, which should support faster top-line revenue growth and improved profitability.
From Barron's ● Mar. 27, 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
The number of model variants will also be streamlined to boost profitability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
This streamlined process allows estates like your mother’s to be settled more quickly and at a fraction of the cost of traditional probate.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 27, 2026
Some applications were streamlined, meaning a higher number of claimants were given leave to remain.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Their streamlined, fusiform bodies combined features characteristic of hexapods and insects with more primitive ancestral traits.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
She could certainly raise Zachary herself; the two of them had become a very good and streamlined team, and there seemed no reason to upset the balance of her life.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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 unclear whether this new structure will result in financial savings by cutting senior roles or streamlining departments.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
She is also focused on streamlining operations, developing connected and self-driving technology and building out lucrative subscription services.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
These layoffs are part of an initiative aimed at streamlining package pickups and deliveries by merging ground and express delivery networks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
This and robust finances have offered the center-right government considerable scope to implement its reform program aimed at increasing employment, reducing welfare dependence, and streamlining the state's role in the economy.
From The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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