phrase
noun
\
Definition of phrase
(Entry 1 of 2)
phrase
verbDefinition of phrase (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms for phrase
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Verb
articulate, clothe, couch, express, formulate, put, say, state, word
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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
Her fans, too, use the phrase as a way to amplify how Meghan is pushing boundaries. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Inside Meghan Markle's First 100 Days in the Royal Family," 27 Aug. 2018 The tweet incorrectly identified the author of the phrase as John Billlings. — Johanna A. Álvarez, miamiherald, "Meet Poncho, the cute police dog that could save your life," 25 June 2018 Maybe not, but that breakfast at the Homegirl Cafe on Villaraigosa’s home turf — and the sidewalk news conference afterward — was an example of politics as usual, in the best sense of the phrase. — John Wildermuth, SFChronicle.com, "Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa make nice, annoying John Cox," 19 June 2018 This can sometimes mean using a specific phrase in a tweet or using the same video clip with different music in the background. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "What is a Meme?," 28 Jan. 2019 Smart speakers are the digital genie filling our homes and fulfilling our every demand, from blasting our shower playlists to reminding us of our to-do lists to translating phrases in French. — Popular Mechanics, "This Powerful Smart Speaker Is Also Affordable," 24 Jan. 2019 Unlike the company’s first game, which has players answer 10 multiple-choice questions to win a share of the prize money, HQ Words tasks them with guessing popular phrases one letter at a time. — Jon Porter, The Verge, "HQ Trivia becomes HQ Trivia & Words as second game exits beta," 24 Dec. 2018 The look was embroidered with names and phrases with importance to the bride, including her husband's name, parent's names, and anniversary date. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Priyanka Chopra Just Stepped Out in an Incredible Reception Dress," 4 Dec. 2018 In the last movement, Bell and CSO principal cellist John Sharp dovetailed each other’s phrases with comparable fervor. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "CSO at Ravinia review: Marin Alsop poetically launches Bernstein tribute," 13 July 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
But now this needs to be phrased as a question, rather than a certainty that such voters would never support him. — Joseph C. Sternberg, WSJ, "How an Accident Could Happen in Britain," 27 Sep. 2018 Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul who understood vocal harmony and phrasing perhaps better than any of her female pop and soul contemporaries, died Thursday. — Marc Myers, WSJ, "Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, Dies," 16 Aug. 2018 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 2018These 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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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
Latin Words to Live By ("Love Conquers...
Latin Words to Live By ("Love Conquers All" & More)
Top 10 Latin Phrases
Dictionary Entries near phrase
Statistics for phrase
Last Updated
7 Mar 2019
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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)
phrase
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of phrase (Entry 2 of 2)
See the full definition for phrase in the English Language Learners Dictionary
phrase
noun
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Kids Definition of phrase
(Entry 1 of 2)
phrase
verbKids Definition of phrase (Entry 2 of 2)
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