as in rhetorical
marked by the use of impressive-sounding but mostly meaningless words and phrases
a bombastic speech intended to impress the voters in her congressional district
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Recent Examples of bombastic
That means the recall effort led by Alex Otaola, the bombastic Spanish-language YouTube host, needs about 550 signatures per day to stay on pace to meet the deadline in four months.
—
Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Gothic visuals and bombastic performances are sure to pull horror buffs into Penny Dreadful's world.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
Trump’s rhetoric, if unusually bombastic, even unsettling, was nonetheless bound by existing institutions.
—Jason Blakely, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Wunmi Mosaku stands out in Sinners despite delivering the film’s least bombastic performance.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bombastic
Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Gothic visuals and bombastic performances are sure to pull horror buffs into Penny Dreadful's world.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
Trump’s rhetoric, if unusually bombastic, even unsettling, was nonetheless bound by existing institutions.
—Jason Blakely, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Wunmi Mosaku stands out in Sinners despite delivering the film’s least bombastic performance.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bombastic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bombastic
Adjective
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The mechanism varied—presidential decree, rhetorical pressure, or quiet resignation—but the outcome proved consistent.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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The rhetorical pattern after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti makes this plain.—
Andrew Weinstein,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Oversized fits—from bomber jackets and cow-print fleece coordinates to wide-leg jeans—were balanced with boots with inflated toes and straps.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
29 Jan. 2026
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The ball itself was usually an inflated animal bladder, like a cow bladder, explains Louis Moore, a professor at Michigan State University, who teaches sports history.—
Jaclyn Diaz,
NPR,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The bishops further authorized a new edition of the Roman Pontifical for pontifical Masses, expected to be completed by 2027, with Vatican approval pending for some rites, according to the Catholic News Agency.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Nov. 2025
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In its report, the pontifical commission highlights failures in the Italian church.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bombastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bombastic. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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