bully pulpit
noun
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Bully vs Bully Pulpit
Bully pulpit comes from the 26th U.S. president, Theodore Roosevelt, who observed that his time in office at the White House was a bully pulpit when he said, “I suppose my critics will call that preaching, but I have got such a bully pulpit!” For Roosevelt, bully was an adjective meaning “excellent” or “first-rate”—not today's familiar noun bully referring to an abusive meanie. Roosevelt understood the modern presidency’s power of persuasion and recognized that it gave the incumbent the opportunity to exhort, instruct, or inspire. He took full advantage of his bully pulpit, speaking out about the danger of monopolies, the nation’s growing role as a world power, and other issues important to him. Since the 1960s, bully pulpit has been used as a term for a public position—especially a political office—that provides one with the opportunity to widely share one’s views.
Examples of bully pulpit in a Sentence
Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2025
However, in the era of Trump, who has exploited the attention of the presidential bully pulpit like no other leader, so little of the counter-messaging from the Democrats’ leaders has broken through.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 June 2025
On Saturday, the president used his digital bully pulpit to call out Walmart, posting on Truth Social that America's largest brick-and-mortar retailer should insulate its customers from any price hikes.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 19 May 2025
Most people don’t have the resources or the bully pulpit of a pope.
—Sammy Roth, Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bully pulpit
Cite this Entry
“Bully pulpit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bully%20pulpit. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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