1
as in voice
an act, process, or means of putting something into words
the poem is his expression of his grief upon the loss of his beloved wife
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Relevance
2
as in look
facial appearance regarded as an indication of mood or feeling
we could tell by the fans' expressions that the Chicago Cubs had lost again
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3
as in term
a pronounceable series of letters having a distinct meaning especially in a particular field
the expression "John Doe" is used in legal proceedings to refer to a person whose actual name is either unknown or being withheld from the public
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4
as in phrase
a sequence of words having a specific meaning
the popular expression "raining cats and dogs" is meaningless in other languages
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of expression
Black dahlias are thought not to always represent a high anthocyanin concentration — although this is sometimes the case — but are more likely the result of a virus that prevents expression of conventional flower colors.
—
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
The election of the reformist former President Mohammad Khatami in 1997, for instance, was an expression of the popular will and explicitly against the wishes of Ali Khamenei, but he was still allowed to take the presidency.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026
That has meant bills on tax reform, immigration and, recently, transgender and LBGTQ+ expression.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026
Scientists all over the world use FlyBase every day — to look up gene expression patterns, search through its collection of 87,000 Drosophila papers, or contact other labs to get genetically unique strains of flies or reagents to run new experiments.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expression
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
The election of the reformist former President Mohammad Khatami in 1997, for instance, was an expression of the popular will and explicitly against the wishes of Ali Khamenei, but he was still allowed to take the presidency.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026
That has meant bills on tax reform, immigration and, recently, transgender and LBGTQ+ expression.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026
Scientists all over the world use FlyBase every day — to look up gene expression patterns, search through its collection of 87,000 Drosophila papers, or contact other labs to get genetically unique strains of flies or reagents to run new experiments.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expression
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expression
Noun
-
The notes bounced over the lapping water, and people’s voices came in fragments.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
-
And these unlikely advocates are determined to use their voices for good.—
Lauren Clark,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Here's your daily look at traffic on major highways in the Kansas City area.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on March 28.—
USA Today staff,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
What are terms of the BofA settlement?—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
-
One called Rabin’s government a Judenrat, the Nazi term for Jewish councils appointed to oversee ghettos.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The phrase had the cadence of a punchline without a joke, and people kept repeating it.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
-
That single phrase blew up across the internet.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
With cultural mainstays like rice extract and buzzy compounds like several types of hyaluronic acid, these formulations offer more than straightforward sun protection.—
Deanna Pai,
Vogue,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Current formulations of the drug also persist in the bloodstream for long periods, which can have unintended consequences.—
Michal Ruprecht,
NPR,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Beyer, who has a warm smile and bright-pink glasses, did not hide her satisfaction.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Always had a smile on her face.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
His words were underscored when police in Israel stopped Catholic leaders from celebrating a private Palm Sunday Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, built on the spot where Jesus was thought to have been crucified.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Finally, in 100 words or less, what makes this hotel worthy of Hot List?—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
If the assignment is to translate something from a foreign language, there are plenty of tools and resources that can do it for you, including by recognizing and figuratively translating idioms.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The centuries-old pot-kettle idiom points out hypocrisy — as when one person accuses another of a flaw that afflicts himself.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expression. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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