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to frame

to frame

132 3.9
To make the main structure and details of a plan or idea
  • verb
  • /freɪm/
translation icon : formular
  • To better understand the issue, it's helpful to frame the discussion around the key challenges we are facing.
  • frame a question
  • frame the discussion
  • be framed in context

Depends on how you frame it, right?

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Examples

  • So this is how I would frame the challenge to my team.

  • Depends on how you frame it, right?

  • It's such a nice way to frame an answer to this question.

  • So when we have some values, we frame the situation in different ways.

  • Maybe it is just about how we frame it.

  • Let me frame it again so you can understand it better.

  • So I will try to frame the conversations a bit.

  • I think even the way we frame the problem is incorrect.

  • And let's try and frame some recommendations in that light.

  • Teachers may also ask questions with multiple solutions that help frame a student's mathematical problem-solving skills.

    Academic text (2015)

Synonyms

to outline
vsto frame
148 3.3

To give the main points of something

is more about building the actual structure and details than summarizing
to structure
vsto frame
105 4.4

To arrange parts or ideas in a clear order

is more about creating the initial shape and purpose rather than only ordering
to construct
vsto frame
103 4.5

To make an idea or argument by joining different parts

emphasizes making the initial plan or outline of that whole
to compose
vsto frame
102 3.5

To make writing, music, or a plan

focuses on inventing the basic plan or structure before full composition
to draw up
vsto frame
97 3.7

To prepare and write official papers such as contracts or wills

is about shaping the core structure rather than finishing formal documentation
to formulate
vsto frame
59 4.5

To create and describe an idea, plan, or theory clearly

is about making the basic structure or details rather than just wording
to couch
vsto frame
  • Formal
15 7.2

To say something in a careful or polite way

focuses on creating the underlying structure rather than choosing phrasing
to establish a framework
vsto frame
  • Formal
4.4

To create a basic plan that guides later work

is about forming that initial structure for a plan or idea
to enframe
vsto frame
  • Jargon
9.3

To present an idea in a story or speech so people see it in a certain way

is about creating the basic structure itself rather than shaping perception

Idioms

out of frame
  • Specialized
1 5.8

Not visible inside a picture or not right for the situation

Phrasal Verbs

1 4.5

Surround a space or object on all sides to enclose it

1 4.9

To build the basic wooden structure of a building like a house

Compounds

87 3.1

A fixed period when something happens or is expected to happen

27 3.7

The mood a person has at a certain time

A person's ideas and beliefs that shape how they understand things

8 1.9

The fixed part around a window that holds it in the wall

A wooden or metal border that holds and protects a picture

frame of reference
  • Specialized
5 6.1

A system for measuring where things are and how they move from one viewpoint

frame rate
  • Specialized
5 3.4

How many pictures a video, animation, or game shows each second

frame-up
  • Informal
3 8.7

An act of falsely accusing someone by making fake evidence against them

reference frame
  • Specialized
3 7.2

A system that describes where and how an object is located or facing

cold frame
  • Specialized
1 4.9

A low box with a clear top that protects young plants from cold and helps them grow

1 4.9

A tall thin body that looks awkward or loosely built

open frame
  • Jargon
1 7.1

A frame in which a player fails to knock down all the pins with two rolls

A digital screen that shows photos as a slideshow

skeletal frame
  • Specialized
1 5.8

Inside support that gives a building or machine its shape and strength

A set of bars or ropes in a playground that children use to go up and down on

A tool that holds fabric tight while you sew patterns by hand

A square wooden tool archaeologists use to map objects at a dig site

fly frame
  • Archaic
9.4

A machine in a textile mill that twists stretched fibres into loose thread

frame buffer
  • Specialized
5.4

An area of computer memory that stores the picture shown on the screen

inertial frame
  • Specialized
8.7

A point of view where objects stay still or move steadily unless a force acts

8.9

A frame where objects stay still or move straight at constant speed unless a force acts on them

roving frame
  • Specialized
9.9

A machine that pulls and lightly twists loose fibres to make thin yarn for spinning

A machine that uses flat plates and frames to separate solids from liquids

A machine with plates and frames that separates solids from liquids in factories

planning frame
  • Specialized
7.7

A square wooden frame archaeologists use to draw and measure features at a site

A thin strong body with visible muscles and little fat

speed frame
  • Specialized
8.5

A machine that pulls and slightly twists fibers to make a loose rope for spinning

spinning frame
  • Specialized
5.8

A machine that pulls, twists, and winds fibers into yarn

8.1

A very tall thin body shape that looks like a long bean

6.5

A metal frame with handles that helps people walk and keep their balance

How Detailed

to elaborate
79 4.2
to refine
93 4.0
to formulate
59 4.5
to frame
132 3.9
outline
59 2.7
sketch
56 3.5

Surface Forms

frame infinitive
framed past
framed past participle
framing present participle
frames third person singular

Etymology

To frame a plan or question comes from the idea of shaping or building a form that holds the idea together. So to frame a proposal or question is to create the basic structure or words that present it.