Definition of double-talknext
1
as in rhetoric
language marked by abstractions, jargon, euphemisms, and circumlocutions the reporter listened to the senator's double-talk for about 30 seconds, and then repeated the question

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2
as in nonsense
unintelligible or meaningless talk the man on the sidewalk rattled off some double-talk, shoved the petition in my face, and before I realized it, I had added my signature to the list

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of double-talk Pat Paulsen, a master of dry wit, delivered droll, double-talk editorials on social issues before mounting a presidential campaign in 1968 with the Straight Talkin’ American Government (STAG) Party. — Fred A. Bernstein, Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2023 What new form of narrative, what gory amalgam of truth and spectacle, what double-talking rough beast approaches? — James Parker, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2023 If his pre-prison projects were almost entirely freestyled, these songs are more tightly written, honoring the fallen, indicting the double-talk of the industry, powered by the energy of a bowstring being pulled back for a half-decade. — Jeff Weiss, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double-talk
Noun
  • The political right has been targeting Indian Americans for more than a year, with racist rhetoric deployed against the H1-B visa program, Sikh truck drivers and Hindu temples and festivals.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Tweets about Cunningham, thinkpieces, and rebuttals have all swirled into an endless mass of controversy — one dominated by derogatory rhetoric, threats, and anti-trans memes.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • No leader should stay as commander in chief after having the mindset to utter such nonsense.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Even much of that seeming nonsense, though, is ostensibly correct.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • This dumbed-down Goebbels gobbledygook revived talking points that Habermas had tried to quash during the Historikerstreit.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
  • But at least some of it was gobbledygook.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026
Noun
  • And three, sometimes four, of those many waking hours are spent in the car — bouncing from home to school to her second or third job and home again — with music at full blast to drown out the babble of anxiety, most of it financial.
    — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Companies modelled after Mary Kay that have reprised empowerment babble for their founders’ gain are mentioned but receive scarce judgment.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 15 July 2026
Noun
  • Dozens of countries’ names were misspelled or written in pure gibberish.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Dozens of other countries' names were misspelled or written in pure gibberish.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The Korean Football Association was furious, responding to this juvenile, but ultimately harmless, prattle by boycotting the Korean press.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 24 June 2026
  • Some of the prattle can feel like treading water, a delaying tactic until the inevitable confrontation scene.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • And the rigmarole of international travel is a very good reason.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026
  • Alternatives were mooted, such as filming in England, but flying all the crew from Poland, and their associated visa requirements, would have added to the rigmarole.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • After the first 10 handshakes, the chatter softens to a murmur.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 11 Oct. 2026
  • White space opportunities like clinical skin care, clean makeup and designer fragrances are often cited by industry analysts as potential areas of growth, and there is considerable chatter about the company’s M&A strategy.
    — Jenny B. Fine, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Double-talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double-talk. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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