breath of fresh air

noun phrase

: a welcome or refreshing change

Examples of breath of fresh air in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The verdant burst is always welcome after a dreary winter, and the bright, fresh flavors of spring vegetables are like a breath of fresh air on the table, too. Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2026 For fans who have ridden with Whitcomb for years and seen his evolution encompass all of the good and bad of his journey, reveling in a project such as Deep Water, which stands as a firm proclamation of happiness, must feel like a proverbial breath of fresh air. Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026 His emergence has been a breath of fresh air for the Nuggets this season. Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026 That’s like a flower scrupulously nudging out from between sidewalk slabs, a breath of fresh air. Noah White, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026 Unlike past Anthropic announcements that resulted in a fire sale of anything and everything investors could think of being even slightly disrupted by AI, this one was a breath of fresh air. Zev Fima, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026 Elegant and perfectly comfortable in the royal dress code, Harriet Sperling represents a breath of fresh air for the British monarchy. Giorgia Olivieri, Vanity Fair, 6 Apr. 2026 That McHale can represent a voice of reason and still fall prey to the superhuman antics of ghost face is a breath of fresh air. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026 The politician, who was born in France to parents of Malian descent, is seen as a breath of fresh air by his supporters in Saint Denis and Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, where close to 30% of the population live below the poverty line. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of breath of fresh air was in 1901

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Cite this Entry

“Breath of fresh air.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breath%20of%20fresh%20air. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.

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