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 new owners of the stalled Oceanwide project in downtown Los Angeles have agreed to start cleaning up the embarrassing splash of color on the city’s skyline even before they have finished formally acquiring it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
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
AFP reporters saw large columns of black smoke spreading over the capital's southern skyline in dramatic scenes, while flames could be seen burning on part of an oil complex in the southern Kapotnya district.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
As the sun dipped behind the Kansas City skyline, the 38-year-old became the first player in history to feature at six World Cups - beating rival Cristiano Ronaldo by a day.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
By the time the sun started setting over the Manhattan skyline in the distance, Magdalys and Two Step were covered in soot, but they’d gotten the whole process down to a smooth, step-by-step rhythm.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
“A city can be booming and unaffordable at the same time. It can have ever-expanding skylines while its people live ever-shrinking lives. We are not going to pretend that that’s good enough.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 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
Smoke that has obscured skylines and made it difficult for some to breathe was expected to linger into the long Fourth of July weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
From New York Times ● Jun. 30, 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.
