streamline
Americannoun
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a teardrop line of contour offering the least possible resistance to a current of air, water, etc.
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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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to make streamlined.
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to alter in order to make more efficient or simple.
adjective
noun
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a contour on a body that offers the minimum resistance to a gas or liquid flowing around it
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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.
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.
She has called for policy changes and more funding that could help expedite and streamline the election process.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
The agreement is meant to streamline and consolidate software acquisition across the department, the government said, as well as the intelligence community and the Coast Guard.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
To achieve this, Winters added: “We are scaling practical uses of automation, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to streamline processes, improve decision‑making and enhance both client service and internal efficiency.”
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
"We are scaling practical uses of automation, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to streamline processes, improve decision‑making and enhance both client service and internal efficiency," said in a statement.
From BBC • May 19, 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
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.
