1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

articulate 1 of 2

adjective

är-ˈti-kyə-lət How to pronounce articulate (audio)
Definition of articulatenext
as in eloquent
able to express oneself clearly and well the television crew covering the science fair were looking for photogenic and articulate students to explain their projects on the air

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

articulate

2 of 2

verb

är-ˈti-kyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce articulate (audio)
1
as in to speak
to utter clearly and distinctly uses a very measured tone and articulates every syllable when issuing scoldings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to express
to convey in appropriate or telling terms an essay that masterfully articulates the case for a greater commitment to space exploration

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to say
to express (a thought or emotion) in words I'm not articulating my thoughts very well

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of articulate
Adjective
Very opinionated and articulate, and seems more interested in the idea behind the idea, rather than the actual idea itself. — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026 Published in late 2018—the very moment the Andy Rubin scandal broke and sparked the Google Walkout—this book gave us language for something many of us had sensed but couldn’t yet articulate. — Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
Fashion week has given each a stage to articulate that proposition. — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2026 Hong Kong — Last weekend, as the world worried about the possibility of unconstrained artificial intelligence wiping out humanity, the leaders of the United States and China articulated their visions for the era-defining technology. — John Liu, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for articulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for articulate
  1. eloquent
  2. speak
  3. express
  4. say
  5. vocal
  6. formulate
  7. utter
  8. outspoken
Adjective
  • Fittingly, this is a very American intersection of wealth and power, the exact kind of problem about which James Baldwin was always so eloquent and incisive.
    — James Folta, Literary Hub, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Cinematic lyrical poet Victor Kossakovsky (Architecton, Gunda) offers in Holy Wood Dust another distinctive non-fiction meditation on a theme, a work that’s eloquent even if the author’s message is not always explicitly articulated.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of eloquent
Verb
  • This means their meaning is easier to guess for someone without any previous knowledge of the gesture or language being spoken; perfect for creating a new language from scratch.
    — Hannah Little, Scientific American, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Fourmont, who has belonged to the Lamplighters for 56 years and has been in many fine quartets, spoke eloquently about serving his community.
    — Tom Strong, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of speak
Verb
  • The statement said el-Sisi expressed support for a deal to resolve the Iranian crisis and ensure the freedom of shipping navigation.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Paxton had argued that the law-school clinic was not a classroom but a workplace, and that Fisher was punished not for expressing political views but because her cursing and volume had disrupted clinic business.
    — Benjamin Wofford, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of express
Verb
  • Kanin said its waste heat systems are designed to produce baseload electricity that can be supplied directly to industrial facilities or local power buyers.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The four were acquitted on six charges of crimes against humanity because the judges said the prosecutors failed to prove that crimes were committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack on civilians.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of say
Adjective
  • Having Moro, super, super smart, great communicator, the vocal leader of the group.
    — Zach Berman, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Playing a raging narcissist intoxicated with her own vocal calisthenics, Scherzinger gets one of the movie’s rare amusing moments, warbling in airy Mariah Carey melisma style even while weeping.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of vocal
Verb
  • Dogs have thinner skin than humans and a different pH balance, which means products formulated for people can actually cause dryness and irritation.
    — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Clean, relax and play with this calming bubble bath made from a nontoxic, hypoallergenic and tear-free solution that has been formulated without parabens, sulfates or fragrance.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of formulate
Verb
  • It is always uttered with a smile—on the harbor, at a café, down on the beach.
    — Michelle Jana Chan, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Sep. 2026
  • That was quite literally the beginning of the story when adult Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) uttered those words in the Yellowjackets pilot.
    — Samantha Highfill, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of utter
Adjective
  • The editing skews toward older candidates, working parents and outspoken candidates, none of it visible before any check starts.
    — Houman Akhavan, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Over lunch at the Santa Clara Hilton — a short drive from 49ers headquarters — Edwards shared about the plights of outspoken athletes such as Wilma Rudolph, Jesse Owens, Rose Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Tommie Smith, John Carlos and more.
    — Mike Jones, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of outspoken

Browse Nearby Words

articulacy
articulate
articulated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Articulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/articulate. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All