Meaning & use
broad stroke
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Meanings
nouncountable
A wide sweep of a brush across a surface, as opposed to a narrow, careful line.
Grammar: Countable: she added one broad stroke of blue across the top.
Patterns
- a broad stroke of something
The painter covered the sky with a single broad stroke of grey.
With one broad stroke of the roller, he covered half the wall.
The artist used broad strokes for the background and fine lines for the faces.
phrasefixed phrasefigurative
A general, simplified way of describing or planning something that leaves out the details.
Grammar: Usually plural and introduced by in or with: she described the plan in broad strokes.
Patterns
- in broad strokes
- with broad strokes
- paint with a broad stroke
Let me explain the project in broad strokes, and we can fill in the details later.
The report describes, in broad strokes, how the city plans to cut traffic.
It is unfair to paint every teenager with the same broad stroke.
Word forms
| plural | broad strokes |
|---|
Common combinations
- in broad strokes
- In broad strokes, the plan is to open two new offices by spring.
- paint with a broad brush
- Critics said the article painted the whole industry with a broad brush.
- a broad stroke of the brush
- One broad stroke of the brush erased the old sketch.
- outline in broad strokes
- The manager outlined the budget in broad strokes.
- sketch in broad strokes
- The author sketches the history of the town in broad strokes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- general outline
- A general outline is a neutral noun phrase, while broad strokes carries the image of painting and often implies detail is missing on purpose.
- rough sketch
- A rough sketch suggests something unfinished, whereas in broad strokes just means you are staying general.
- overview
- An overview is a complete short summary, while broad strokes can sound more casual and less complete.
Opposites
Word family
- stroke noun
- a single movement of a brush, pen or hand
- broad adjective
- wide, or general rather than detailed
- broadly adverb
- in a general way, without details
- brushstroke noun
- a mark made by one movement of a paintbrush
Commonly confused: broad stroke or broad brush?
broad stroke vs broad brush
Broad brush is a close cousin used in the phrase painting with a broad brush, meaning treating a group too generally; broad strokes is more neutral and often describes a plan.
Practice
The teacher explained the history of the war ____ and promised more detail next week.
Choose one answer.
In broad strokes is the fixed phrase for describing something generally. The other options change the preposition or the number and are not used.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “broad stroke”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.