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
Virulent anti-Muslim rhetoric is surging.
—
Luis Andres Henao, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
His opponent James Fishback — a relative political unknown who has used racist and white nationalist rhetoric throughout his campaign — is highlighting the generational divide around extremism on the right in Florida.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
On Monday, prior to the Unrivaled semifinals, a number of players discussed the ongoing labor battle with a notable change in rhetoric.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 5 Mar. 2026
In an age of threats and harsh political rhetoric, public school teachers are asking the Connecticut legislature to erase their home addresses from some public records.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rhetoric
Luis Andres Henao, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
His opponent James Fishback — a relative political unknown who has used racist and white nationalist rhetoric throughout his campaign — is highlighting the generational divide around extremism on the right in Florida.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
On Monday, prior to the Unrivaled semifinals, a number of players discussed the ongoing labor battle with a notable change in rhetoric.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 5 Mar. 2026
In an age of threats and harsh political rhetoric, public school teachers are asking the Connecticut legislature to erase their home addresses from some public records.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rhetoric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rhetoric
Noun
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Fortunately, larger fuel sources like dense vegetation remain moist from heavy winter rains, and winds are predicted to be relatively light, conditions that together limit the danger of fast-spreading wildfires.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Major storms whipped up tornadoes that killed at least two people in northwest Indiana and leveled buildings in Kankakee, authorities said Wednesday, as another round of rain, hail and strong winds made its way through the region.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In their bloody poetry, the human animal expands, often to terrifying capacity.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
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Her team is gathering writing from political prisoners, media criticism from inside mainstream newsrooms, stories of Hollywood censorship, profiles of the former head of Addameer and of a Palestinian rapper, poetry, and lots more.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The whole tariff nonsense, the tariffs that were struck down by the Supreme Court, those tariffs rested on false claims by the president of the United States about economic emergency.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2026
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And don’t give me the lacking pass protection nonsense.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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One poll this week found that almost half of Americans blame Trump for more expensive gas, even as the president rolls out a host of new proposals to keep oil flowing worldwide.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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One bright spot for American consumers is that national gas prices haven’t yet caught up to Thursday’s big jump in the oil price.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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According to Murray, jazz shows us how to cope—and understand, make meaning, and move on.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
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A little more than a decade later, the pair co-founded the Sir Douglas Quintet, a group that mixed psychedelic rock, blues, jazz, country music, and the ethnic vibes of the Texas and Mexican border into a uniquely bright and vibrant sound.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Catholic Church’s work with young people in Italy largely relies on oratories, parish spaces where children and teenagers gather after school for sports and recreational activities.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
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But in 1988, Jackson’s oratory was backed up by an expansive policy platform, which called for hundreds of billions of dollars in funding for education, child care, housing, and infrastructure projects.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Trump’s version of events, as is so often the case, isn’t based on facts, but wishcasting, projection, bombast and bluffs.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
One thing The Tonight Show does better than any other late-night show (and certainly can’t be replicated by video podcasts) is bombast.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
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 13 Mar. 2026.
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