phrase

noun \ ˈfrāz \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Examples: phrase in a Sentence

Definition of phrase

1 : a characteristic manner or style of expression : diction

2 a : a brief expression; especially : catchphrase

b : word

3 : a short musical thought typically two to four measures long closing with a cadence

4 : a word or group of words forming a syntactic constituent with a single grammatical function

an adverbial phrase

5 : a series of dance movements comprising a section of a pattern

See phrase defined for English-language learners

See phrase defined for kids

Examples of phrase in a Sentence

Answer the questions in complete sentences, not phrases.
She used the phrase “I strongly believe” too many times in her speech.
Underline the key words or phrases in the paragraph.
To borrow a phrase from my mother, I spend too much time “watching the boob tube” and not enough time outside.

Recent Examples of phrase from the Web

Her favorite phrases were 'always be in control' and 'God Bless'.

— hartford courant, courant.com, "Ann Kelly," 14 July 2018
Making lemonade out of lemons is one of those phrases that can sound trite.

— lynn petrak, chicagotribune.com, "Petrak: La Grange third-grader's lemonade stand raises money for families of fallen police," 11 July 2018
During the Huggies By Design launch party, the duo took a few minutes to chat over the phone about the difference between having two kids versus one, their biggest takeaways as dads, and why one little phrase from Poppy can make their whole day.

— candace braun davison, House Beautiful, "Nate Berkus And Jeremiah Brent Get Real About The "Beautiful Chaos" Of Raising Two Kids," 25 June 2018
Nixon cannily positioned himself as upholding law and order—a helpfully ambiguous phrase that lumped together the threats of rising crime, urban riots and rowdy left-wing activism.

— WSJ, "Notable & Quotable: The ‘60s and the ‘10s," 8 July 2018
Don't worry: Has a phrase ever defeated its purpose so neatly?

— lauren oster, Redbook, "A Spontaneous Road Trip With My Husband Changed My Life," 26 June 2018
According to Oliver, Peña Nieto is unpopular enough that crowds have taken to shouting a particular phrase at him.

— melissa locker, Time, "'Santa Claus Won’t Save Mexico.' John Oliver Explores Electoral Outcomes on Last Week Tonight," 25 June 2018
To borrow a phrase from Gossip Girl... spotted: D. flashing peace signs at Google Maps.

— hannah orenstein, Seventeen, "Did Google Maps Accidentally Capture "13 Reasons Why" While They Were Filming Season 1?," 19 June 2018
The casting couch is a phrase that has only ever existed as a queasy euphemism in Hollywood.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "Can Hollywood Kill the Casting Couch?," 13 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phrase.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of phrase

Latin phrasis, from Greek, from phrazein to point out, explain, tell

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1530

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

phrase Synonyms

Synonyms

expression, idiom;

Related Words

cliché (also cliche);

locution, term;

epithet, expletive, name;

byword, cry, motto, shibboleth, slogan, watchword;

archaism, colloquialism, euphemism, modernism, neologism, provincialism, vulgarism;

Phrases

figure of speech;

phrase

verb

Definition of phrase

phrased; phrasing

transitive verb

1 a : to express in words or in appropriate or telling terms

b : to designate by a descriptive word or phrase

2 : to divide into melodic phrases

See phrase defined for English-language learners

Examples of phrase in a Sentence

He phrased his version of the story in a way that made him look good.
The question was awkwardly phrased.
The singer phrased the music beautifully.

Recent Examples of phrase from the Web

The trick, of course, is phrasing your command correctly and knowing that browsing and comparison shopping is impossible.

— jefferson graham, USA TODAY, "Shopping with Alexa on Amazon Prime day will be hard. These tricks make it easier," 13 July 2018
Robert: Keep a close ear and eye on how Bill Bradford phrases his answers in the police interview.

— dateline nbc, NBC News, "At the Desk of: Robert Dean, Dateline Producer of ‘The Threat’," 6 July 2018
The piano part — clearly articulated and sensitively phrased by Anne-Marie McDermott — is not overly virtuosic but delights in its unexpected wanderings.

— christian hertzog, sandiegouniontribune.com, "A rare, fiery performance of a Rebel ballet kicks off Mainly Mozart Festival," 10 June 2018
All that was left was to figure out creative language for how that constraint would be phrased that everyone could support.

— josh lederman, Fox News, "Behind the scenes of Trump's decision to abandon Iran deal," 11 May 2018
Or, phrased another way, the multiverse represents the end of science.

— brian resnick, Vox, "Stephen Hawking’s final paper makes a hopeful case for the limits of existence," 3 May 2018
All are expected to want a voice in Republican strategy for Mr. Trump in the midterms, adding only more chaos, as one White House official phrased it, to an already unruly presidency.

— jonathan martin, alexander burns and maggie haberman, New York Times, "Trump’s Role in Midterm Elections Roils Republicans," 28 Apr. 2018
The film praises his timing, phrasing, producing skills and dynamic style.

— hal boedeker, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Elvis Presley: HBO film salutes NBC special," 6 Apr. 2018
There were places where some critics...felt like the way things were phrased was anti-American.

— zoë schlanger, Newsweek, "Revised AP U.S. History Standards Will Emphasize American Exceptionalism," 29 July 2015

First Known Use of phrase

1556

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

phrase Synonyms

Synonyms

articulate, clothe, couch, express, formulate, put, say, state, word;

Related Words

craft, frame;

hint, imply, insinuate, intimate, suggest;

paraphrase, rephrase, restate, reword, summarize, translate;

communicate, disclose, speak, talk, tell, utter, verbalize;

describe, render, write up;

PHRASE Defined for English Language Learners

phrase

noun

Definition of phrase for English Language Learners

: a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence
: a brief expression that is commonly used
music : a short section of a longer piece of music