phrase

noun

\ˈfrāz

Definition of phrase

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a characteristic manner or style of expression : diction

2a : 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

phrase

verb

phrased; phrasing

Definition of phrase (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about phrase

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Examples of phrase in a Sentence

Noun

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.

Verb

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 on the Web: Noun

But anyone who uses this conventional phrase misses the point entirely. — Paola Singer, ELLE Decor, "In an Expat Enclave of Rural Uruguay, a Couple Finds Tranquility at Home," 1 Dec. 2018 The phrase is a permanent fixture of late-night TV, when car commercials boom through your speakers at inexplicably loud volumes. — Aditi Shrikant, Vox, "How James David Power III created the only car ranking company you’ve ever heard of.," 27 Nov. 2018 In fact, Trump had applied for a trademark for the phrase in 2012. — Sam Dangremond, Town & Country, "Who Was the First Politician to Use "Make America Great Again" Anyway?," 14 Nov. 2018 Kearns cites a favorite phrase of his wife, a grief counselor. — Tara Isabella Burton, Vox, "How faith leaders respond to tragedies like the California wildfires," 21 Nov. 2018 The error involved the NKVD’s codebooks, known as one-time pads, which used random numbers to scramble letters, words and phrases. — Tim Folger, Discover Magazine, "Chance Encounters," 17 Aug. 2018 Southerners are always good for a colorful turn of phrase, but load us into an SUV with a cooler full of cold drinks and Mama’s giant monogrammed snack tote? — Southern Living, "Things You'll Only Hear on a Southern Road Trip," 9 June 2018 An Arabic phrase, repeated in both faint and bold lettering, hovers around her like a swarm of moths. — Jonathan Kauffman, San Francisco Chronicle, "Exile in the Tenderloin: The quest for a future at San Francisco’s only Sudanese cafe," 17 May 2018 Nixon, who is attempting to position herself to the left of incumbent Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, has repeatedly used the phrase to describe the federal government agency that enforces immigration laws. — Alex Pappas, Fox News, "White House: 'Deeply disturbing' for Cynthia Nixon to call ICE a 'terrorist organization'," 9 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

All are expected to want a voice in Republican strategy for Trump in the midterms, adding only more chaos, as one White House official phrased it, to an already unruly presidency. — Anchorage Daily News, "Trump dismisses midterm threat, alarming GOP," 28 Apr. 2018 Why do people respond so differently depending on how a question is phrased? — Eric Vanepps, Time, "The Best Way to Get People to Tell the Truth, According to Science," 11 July 2018 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

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.

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Statistics for phrase

Last Updated

12 Dec 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for phrase

The first known use of phrase was in 1530

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More Definitions for phrase

phrase

noun

English Language Learners Definition of phrase

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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

phrase

verb

English Language Learners Definition of phrase (Entry 2 of 2)

: to say (something) in a particular way

: to perform (a piece of music) with the notes grouped together in a particular way

See the full definition for phrase in the English Language Learners Dictionary

phrase

noun

\ˈfrāz

Kids Definition of phrase

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not form a complete sentence The group of words “out the door” in “they ran out the door” is a phrase.

2 : a brief expression that is commonly used