How to Use phrase in a Sentence

phrase

1 of 2 noun
  • Underline the key words or phrases in the paragraph.
  • She used the phrase “I strongly believe” too many times in her speech.
  • Answer the questions in complete sentences, not phrases.
  • To borrow a phrase from my mother, I spend too much time “watching the boob tube” and not enough time outside.
  • The phrase and tones were so easy to grasp and keep in our minds.
    Rachel Ng, Travel, 15 Dec. 2020
  • The origins of the phrase have been lost, but the trend can be tracked.
    Paula Wethington, Detroit Free Press, 1 Oct. 2022
  • Since then, the phrase has been adapted to the world of business.
    Doug Gollan, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023
  • Winthrop used the phrase as a metaphor for the new world settlement.
    The Rev. Mike Taylor, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 12 Sep. 2020
  • That phrase echoes around the story like a whisper in a cave.
    Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 7 June 2018
  • The title was a nod to the phrase used as boxers’ enter the ring.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 15 Mar. 2023
  • That’s the phrase bandied about every time a novel makes it to the big screen.
    Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 3 Jan. 2023
  • And the language, as the judge pointed out, is a very broad phrase.
    CBS News, 13 Aug. 2023
  • This phrase has been a cheer to keep peoples’ hopes alive.
    Momo Chang, SFChronicle.com, 16 Mar. 2020
  • Those who apply for the job should ponder the phrase, too.
    Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2022
  • The fourth includes a word or phrase that has been redacted.
    Jay Croft, CNN, 22 Apr. 2022
  • More and more, the phrase is also used to talk about tequila.
    Dallas News, 24 Aug. 2021
  • Yeah, to use the phrase bring this country back to greatness again.
    Fox News, 5 Oct. 2023
  • It’s a word or phrase to hold in your heart and orient your flow.
    Catherine Mevs, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2022
  • Each part begins with the same phrase and ends with a prayer to God.
    Vulture, 5 Oct. 2023
  • In a word or phrase, what's the biggest source of stress in your life right now?
    Matt Stout, BostonGlobe.com, 26 July 2022
  • The reason for running this item is a three-word phrase.
    Leah Garchik, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 May 2018
  • Hayes helps her phrase her vocals and pace her stage moves.
    Jane Wooldridge, miamiherald, 22 Apr. 2018
  • Just talking about this makes him — what was his phrase?
    Jessica Goldstein, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2021
  • More often the shifts are subtle — a word here, a phrase there.
    Lisa Kennedy, The Know, 18 Mar. 2017
  • The phrase that best describes your feelings is in love rather than just love.
    Katie Arnold-Ratliff, SELF, 24 June 2022
  • To use an old phrase, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
    Lisa Montenegro, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2021
  • What came next brought to life for me the phrase: feathering your own nest.
    Dave Lieber, Dallas News, 11 June 2021
  • But in Norway, at least, the phrase might be headed for the door.
    Sebastian Blanco, Car and Driver, 27 Jan. 2020
  • This is, to borrow a phrase from our friends across the pond, utter tosh.
    Chris Cillizza, CNN, 29 July 2021
  • The phrases were foreign to the dog-eat-dog car business.
    Christina Rogers, WSJ, 22 May 2017
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phrase

2 of 2 verb
  • He phrased his version of the story in a way that made him look good.
  • The singer phrased the music beautifully.
  • The question was awkwardly phrased.
  • You’re supposed to phrase it in the form of a question.
    Ira Winderman, sun-sentinel.com, 2 Oct. 2021
  • But that may not be the right way to phrase the question.
    Dennis Overbye, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2023
  • The board went back and forth on how to phrase its policy.
    Emma Kate Fittes, Indianapolis Star, 13 June 2019
  • So how did the name or phrase Black Twitter even come to be?
    Wired Staff, Wired, 6 Aug. 2021
  • Or, in this case, maybe a torso cutout is a better way to phrase it.
    Carrie Wittmer, Glamour, 16 May 2022
  • But be careful not to phrase things in a way where the child must do everything right.
    Alison Bowen, chicagotribune.com, 26 Jan. 2022
  • Please tell me the answer is obvious when it’s phrased this way.
    Carolyn Hax, idahostatesman, 26 May 2017
  • Even to phrase the question is to confront the depressing answer.
    David Frum, The Atlantic, 9 July 2017
  • Melodies were phrased with good musical instincts, but the rhythms didn’t have much to say.
    David Patrick Stearns, Philly.com, 2 Nov. 2017
  • But perhaps more incisive than the statement itself is the way it is phrased.
    Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, 24 Jan. 2020
  • But there's no denying the tweet was oddly phrased and had a confusing tone.
    Jamie Ballard, Good Housekeeping, 16 Mar. 2018
  • A better way to phrase this would be, what are the menu of options being considered?
    Lauren Fox and Phil Mattingly, CNN, 12 June 2017
  • That last one is the top insult in this group — neoliberal shill, is how it would be phrased.
    Nellie Bowles, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2020
  • Perhaps the question is better phrased: To whom does a school belong?
    Richard Vedder, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2023
  • The two men phrase the nature of that struggle very differently.
    Marc Fisher, Washington Post, 16 Oct. 2022
  • The question wasn’t delicately phrased, but fell within the bounds.
    Jon Wertheim, SI.com, 31 July 2019
  • Her ability to distort the truth -- to phrase it kindly -- is nothing short of herculean.
    Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 23 Apr. 2012
  • Yi phrased lyrical passages well and showed remarkable poise.
    Tim Diovanni, Dallas News, 12 July 2019
  • Please phrase your speculation in the form of a question. Stokes: Poor guy.
    Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2021
  • Dolphins fans wanting to turn Monday into a sign of being smart might want to re-phrase that.
    Dave Hyde, sun-sentinel.com, 15 Mar. 2021
  • Some examples: the actor may not know the proper delivery or how to phrase an inside joke.
    Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2021
  • 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, 27 Sep. 2018
  • There were places where some critics...felt like the way things were phrased was anti-American.
    Zoë Schlanger, Newsweek, 29 July 2015
  • Colts coach Frank Reich said earlier this week when the question was phrased that way.
    Joel A. Erickson, Indianapolis Star, 26 Dec. 2019
  • Forget about how the question was phrased, which seems to be a topic lighting up social media today.
    Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2023
  • So, not friendly questions, even if they were politely phrased.
    Carl M. Cannon, Orange County Register, 15 Jan. 2017
  • Same goes if a student texts a word or phrase the bot recognizes as a red flag, like a question about how to withdraw or thoughts about self-harm.
    Nina Agrawal, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'phrase.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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