1
as in wind
language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere
the mayor's promise to fight drugs was just rhetoric, since there was no money in the city budget for a drug program
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in poetry
the art or power of speaking or writing in a forceful and convincing way
great leaders have often been masters of rhetoric, which they have used for both good and ill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rhetoric
Recent months have also seen emerging trends in nationalist rhetoric leading to the normalisation of denial of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide in the region.
—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
Maddox, the University of Alabama researcher, sees this rhetoric as inherently connected to political attacks on reproductive rights.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 5 July 2025
Similarly, scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. emphasizes the enduring significance of Douglass’s rhetoric by placing it within a broader historical framework.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 4 July 2025
Advertisement Now, the three branches of government are under Republican control, enabled and empowered by a fact-free MAGA narrative in which the rhetoric around immigration is synonymous with violent criminality.
—Jose Antonio Vargas, Time, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rhetoric
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
Maddox, the University of Alabama researcher, sees this rhetoric as inherently connected to political attacks on reproductive rights.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 5 July 2025
Similarly, scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. emphasizes the enduring significance of Douglass’s rhetoric by placing it within a broader historical framework.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 4 July 2025
Advertisement Now, the three branches of government are under Republican control, enabled and empowered by a fact-free MAGA narrative in which the rhetoric around immigration is synonymous with violent criminality.
—Jose Antonio Vargas, Time, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rhetoric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rhetoric
Noun
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The bill also underwent more changes in a last-minute replacement version, including the removal of a punishing tax on wind and solar energy as well as a pareback of the bill’s cuts to clean energy subsidies.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
1 July 2025
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That poses a challenge in regions that have long stretches with low wind and sunlight, stressing power grids fed by renewable sources.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
30 June 2025
Noun
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Sang-wol has been using the money garnered from Ro-sa’s poetry book sales to fund a college scholarship.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
30 June 2025
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For decades, hip-hop artists have turned pain into poetry, struggle into style, and now, lyrics into liquidity.—
Kori Hale,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Noun
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That's nonsense… and anyone who's been a part of these productions knows that IN FACT the opposite is true.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
9 July 2025
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The song was essentially one long joke about animal noises, and once the joke wore off, what remained was an insanely repetitive chorus of nonsense.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Noun
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Oil and gas stocks fell after the OPEC+ alliance on Saturday agreed to a bigger-than-expected production increase.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
8 July 2025
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And these particular reservoirs of oil and gas worked their way upward through layers of rock until they became enmeshed in the sandstone.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Essence Fest and Economic Impact of Local Reinvestment New Orleans’ history as the birthplace of jazz provides credibility that enriches every experience, and the results speak to this precision.—
Sughnen Yongo,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
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The group was revolutionary for its time, not only for its blend of psychedelic rock, soul, jazz, gospel and Latin influences but also for its lineup.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Noun
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Hugo would likely have been repelled and fascinated by Trump’s demagoguery, his rambling mendacity, his grammatically illogical but easy-to-follow oratory.—
Graham Robb,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2025
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Her brand at the time was something like the Obama of the antipodes: a liberal media darling, icon of the global anti-Trump resistance, transitioning smoothly from lofty oratory to easygoing relatability.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Noun
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The chorus is essentially one word (peaches) repeated incessantly with operatic bombast.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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You’ll be treated to swank surroundings and a surprisingly refined and nuanced meal filled with bombast and a hint of down-to-earth charm from its culinary director, Ben Martinek (formerly of Montage Laguna Beach’s Loft and Studio).—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
3 June 2025
Noun
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Much of that singularity was centered in McCarthy’s prose, which ricocheted—sometimes gracefully, sometimes jarringly—between gruff matter-of-factness and soaring, biblical grandiloquence.—
Alex Shephard,
The New Republic,
13 June 2023
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Several of them can fly, and all have at least a touch of grandiloquence to them.—
Michael Nordine,
Variety,
11 Aug. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Rhetoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rhetoric. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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