polemic

noun

Definition of polemicnext
as in diatribe

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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 polemic Same polemic, just with Bush-era archetypes. — Emma Green, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026 Buckley and Bale’s chemistry has no juice from the start, the characters too wrapped up in grotesque prosthetics and inky makeup and gender polemics to generate real heat between them. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Mar. 2026 That feeling of brotherhood, respect, and community is badly needed now, as the world is fractured by military conflicts, political polemic, and a weakening of the social fabric that knits diverse cultures and views together. — Sean Gregory, Time, 6 Feb. 2026 While After the Hunt rushes through how Maggie and Alma’s differences were resolved, Maggie lands a polemic Rolling Stone op-ed that further puts Alma’s tenure in jeopardy. — Essence, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for polemic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polemic
  1. diatribe
  2. criticism
  3. tirade
  4. harangue
  5. rebuke
  6. excoriation
  7. castigation
Noun
  • Design After endless diatribes about the quirky lines of Ferrari’s all-electric Luce, the marque’s enthusiasts will find that the Amalfi Spider’s long-hood, raked-screen, and open-top lines are comfortingly familiar and unquestionably gorgeous.
    — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Thank you, Kat Timpf, for speaking up against Greg Gutfeld’s hateful, pointless and incorrect diatribe about cats and the people who give them a home.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of diatribe
Noun
  • The company has continued to push back on criticism by offering law enforcement advice on how to counter public pressure at city council meetings, noted Torin Monahan, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The European Court of Human ​Rights ruled in 2014 that Hungary had sacked Baka for criticism ​of the ⁠government and that his removal did damage to democratic freedoms in Hungary.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of criticism
Noun
  • During a match at the Miami Open, Vasek Pospisil delivered a profanity-laden tirade against the leader of the men’s tennis tour, the ATP.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 July 2026
  • Maggie said, and a tirade of noises poured out of the receiver.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
Definition of tirade
Noun
  • Stephen Adly Guirgis, a New York playwright who specializes in urban pressure-cooker dramas, has a gift for writing subway strap-hanger harangues.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The Americans were prepared for a lecture from Russia’s longtime foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, who is well known for his tedious harangues.
    — Michael Crowley, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
Definition of harangue
Noun
  • The next day, after Trump berated Republicans for allowing the measure to pass, the Senate rejected a nearly identical resolution, but the earlier rebuke was unmistakable.
    — KORI SCHAKE, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Republican defections in the House of Representatives have repeatedly prompted symbolic rebukes of the Iran war.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebuke
Noun
  • If Trump is at all interested in avoiding further excoriation at home, brevity must be his priority.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
  • There’ve been the usual marches around the country, signs, excoriations from members of Congress, all under the same umbrella of resistance.
    — Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
Definition of excoriation
Noun
  • Not everyone on the right is onboard with the Kimmel castigation.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The standoff centered on the now-former assistant attorney general’s public and internal castigation of pediatric gender medicine.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 31 Jan. 2026
Definition of castigation

Browse Nearby Words

poled
polemic
polemical
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Cite this Entry

“Polemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polemic. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on polemic

Nglish: Translation of polemic for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about polemic

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