1
as in vocal
expressed or communicated by voice
a baby's crying is usually interpreted as an oral expression of distress
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in verbal
made or carried on through speaking rather than in writing
lawyers for the plaintiff will be presenting oral arguments before the Supreme Court next week
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oral
Growing research suggests that good oral hygiene is linked to a reduced risk of serious conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
—
Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Going forward, Field expects investor focus to remain on the launch trajectory of Eli Lilly’s orforglipron, a once-daily oral GLP-1 medication that is expected to be approved in the second quarter of 2026.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
In the oral arguments, several justices were openly skeptical about the president’s ability to claim virtually unlimited powers to set tariffs without specific congressional language to authorize them.
—Kent Jones, The Conversation, 20 Feb. 2026
The Court heard oral arguments in November but was slow to issue its ruling.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oral
Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Going forward, Field expects investor focus to remain on the launch trajectory of Eli Lilly’s orforglipron, a once-daily oral GLP-1 medication that is expected to be approved in the second quarter of 2026.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
In the oral arguments, several justices were openly skeptical about the president’s ability to claim virtually unlimited powers to set tariffs without specific congressional language to authorize them.
—Kent Jones, The Conversation, 20 Feb. 2026
The Court heard oral arguments in November but was slow to issue its ruling.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oral
Adjective
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Nor were the four years the FBI operated under Biden the best years of the agency’s life, as the FBI was used to go after political conservatives, conservative groups, as a well as vocal protesters at school committee meetings questioning COVID regulations.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2026
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Conservative critics have become increasingly vocal against the fields in recent years, but ethnic and gender studies are not new fields.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Two sources who attended the party described witnessing a loud verbal exchange between Nick Reiner and his parents.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
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Linguists divide these verbal loading bars into two categories.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Based on James Graham’s Olivier-award winning play, and starring Joseph Fiennes as the kind, quiet spoken Southgate.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
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The new record opens with a spoken word intro from the funk father himself, George Clinton, which somewhat belies its lack of buoyant grooves, but sets the tone for its poetic and often esoteric themes.—
Lina Lecaro,
Rolling Stone,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Sanders, who co-directed the original movie and voiced Stitch, reprised his voice-over role in the 2025 update.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
23 July 2025
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Several cast members returned, including co-writer and co-director Chris Sanders, who created and voiced Stitch.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oral. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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