1
as in wind
language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere
the mayor's promise to fight drugs was just rhetoric, since there was no money in the city budget for a drug program
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in poetry
the art or power of speaking or writing in a forceful and convincing way
great leaders have often been masters of rhetoric, which they have used for both good and ill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rhetoric
Despite the ongoing war, and anti-Western rhetoric that has become embedded in Kremlin and state media commentary, Russia is likely to be ready and willing to participate in future global cultural and sporting events should circumstances change.
—
Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
Senator Ted Cruz on Thursday delivered a sharp denunciation of former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, condemning his recent interview with far-right commentator Nick Fuentes and warning that such rhetoric is fueling anti-Israel sentiment among young conservatives.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The relatively warm language ahead of Thursday’s talks, likely to overshadow a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders, stood in sharp contrast to heated rhetoric from Washington and Beijing in recent months that at one point saw the two countries impose retaliatory tariffs of more than 100%.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Spanberger softly condemned Jones’s violent rhetoric but declined to distance herself from him.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rhetoric
Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
Senator Ted Cruz on Thursday delivered a sharp denunciation of former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, condemning his recent interview with far-right commentator Nick Fuentes and warning that such rhetoric is fueling anti-Israel sentiment among young conservatives.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The relatively warm language ahead of Thursday’s talks, likely to overshadow a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders, stood in sharp contrast to heated rhetoric from Washington and Beijing in recent months that at one point saw the two countries impose retaliatory tariffs of more than 100%.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Spanberger softly condemned Jones’s violent rhetoric but declined to distance herself from him.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rhetoric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rhetoric
Noun
-
And in late March and early April, when the winds still bite, the first piping plovers, tiny and sand-colored, return to the Rockaways.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Mackinac Bridge officials recorded the highest wind gust Monday morning, 49 mph, prompting an advisory and escorts across the span for vulnerable vehicles like motorcycles, pickup trucks with campers and other high-profile vehicles.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Schwartz is the author of thirty books of fiction, essays, and poetry, including her novels Leaving Brooklyn, a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, and Rough Strife, a finalist for the National Book Award.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Oct. 2025
-
There were barrel racers slicing turns like poetry, bull riders gripping for glory, and calf ropers moving with the precision of surgeons.—
Essence,
Essence,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The other side in a debate with common sense is nonsense.—
Danielle Kurtzleben,
NPR,
22 Oct. 2025
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That kind of no-nonsense mentality cuts right through all the nonsense and puts the focus on the work.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Timor-Leste’s oil and gas wells are already running dry, with oil production at the Bayu-Undan field in the Timor Sea—the country’s only producing field—ceasing production in June 2025.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
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Shell's results come as French oil major TotalEnergies reported a slight drop in third-quarter profit as oil and gas production growth helped to offset lower crude prices.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Bring the theme home with background music courtesy of the film's soundtrack or some autumnal instrumental jazz.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Oct. 2025
-
For two days, it’s located on Lafayette Street in SoHo, a physical pop-up for the Icelandic jazz musician’s collaboration with Everlane.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Known for his extraordinary oratory skills, everyone who has been around Levy has a story to tell about his Marvisms and motivational speeches.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Her brand at the time was something like the Obama of the antipodes: a liberal media darling, icon of the global anti-Trump resistance, transitioning smoothly from lofty oratory to easygoing relatability.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Noun
-
The Townshend-esque vibe is much stronger on Argent's original version of this song, but Kiss' reinvention is a vast improvement, weeding out the prog-rock bombast while venturing into Mott the Hoople territory.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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Those blockbusters happen to an audience, flattening them with a bombast their living rooms can’t replicate.—
Robert Rubsam,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Freed of the architectural fustian of the Frick’s Gilded Age home, the art breathes anew, each painting in its own world rather than entwined with others as part of a decorative ensemble.—
Philip Kennicott,
Washington Post,
6 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Rhetoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rhetoric. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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