# Dictionary and thesaurus

> Look up the word under your cursor without leaving the page — meaning, synonyms, opposites, related words, and rhymes — and swap a synonym straight in.

[Try it in Plot](https://app.inkwell.software/projects)

The reference panel opens beside the word under your cursor and stays out of the page. It reads the word, looks it up, and puts a synonym back with one click — keeping the capitalization and any formatting the original had.

![The reference panel (1) on the word idea, open on Synonyms: the tabs (2) — Meaning, Synonyms, Like this, Opposites, Related, Rhymes — and the synonyms themselves (3), closest first. Choose one to swap it onto the page.](https://www.inkwell.software/help/dictionary-panel.light.webp)

_The reference panel (1) on the word idea, open on Synonyms: the tabs (2) — Meaning, Synonyms, Like this, Opposites, Related, Rhymes — and the synonyms themselves (3), closest first. Choose one to swap it onto the page._

1. **Put the cursor in a word**

   Click anywhere inside the word, or select it. A phrase works for related-word suggestions, but a definition wants one word.

2. **Open the panel**

   Press `⌘` `'` (`Ctrl` `'` on Windows and Linux), or right-click and choose **Look up**.

3. **Read across the tabs**

   **Meaning** is the dictionary entry. **Synonyms**, **Like this**, and **Opposites** are the thesaurus — substitutes ordered by how close they are, with a **How common** filter to keep the rare ones out of the way. **Related** lists associations to browse, not swap. **Rhymes** finds rhymes, near rhymes, and homophones for a lyric or a name.

4. **Swap in a synonym**

   Choose a synonym to replace the word on the page. The panel closes and the cursor stays where it was; if you change your mind, undo puts the original back. Inside a character cue or a scene heading the panel is read-only, so a lookup never rewrites a name.

> **Note: Online look-ups**
>
> Look-ups are on by default. Turn them off under [Settings → Dictionary & thesaurus](https://www.inkwell.software/help/account/settings-overview) and the panel offers the way back on instead of results — there is no offline word list yet.

## What next

- [Find and replace](https://www.inkwell.software/help/writing/find-and-replace): Search the script, step through matches, and replace one or all — including a character's name across every cue and line of dialogue.
- [Change how Plot looks and behaves](https://www.inkwell.software/help/account/settings-overview): Open Settings from anywhere and set the theme and palette, the page's size and markers, motion and transparency, which emails you get, and your profile.

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Canonical page: <https://www.inkwell.software/help/writing/dictionary-and-thesaurus>