1
as in rhetoric
boastful speech or writing
all the bluster in the campaign speech was intended to hide a lack of specifics
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2
as in roar
loud, confused, and usually inharmonious sound
I can't work with all the bluster in here
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
a mayor who got things done without a lot of bluster and self-serving publicity
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to huff
to talk loudly and wildly
the rude customer blustered and yelled threats about lawsuits, but eventually left
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bluster
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 July 2025
Even critics who considered his policies cruel and racist – and there were many – admitted that behind the bluster there was the charm of a true believer.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2025
Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
So far, the result is a blitz of mixed messages, conflicting signals and blustering threats, not unlike the way Mr. Trump and his aides talk about their ever-evolving tariff strategy.
—David E. Sanger, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bluster
Noun
In Killarney, German businessmen described the respect their grandparents had for America’s leadership after World War II and then lashed out at the bluster and lies that currently pass for dialogue and diplomacy in Washington.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 July 2025
Even critics who considered his policies cruel and racist – and there were many – admitted that behind the bluster there was the charm of a true believer.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2025
Verb
Denmark has become a leader in green energy—particularly from the winds that all too often bluster the flat land pinned between the North Sea and the Baltic.
—Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
So far, the result is a blitz of mixed messages, conflicting signals and blustering threats, not unlike the way Mr. Trump and his aides talk about their ever-evolving tariff strategy.
—David E. Sanger, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bluster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bluster
Noun
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Trump ordered some 450 federal agents to patrol the nation's capital and target crime on Aug. 9 and 10 amid his escalating rhetoric condemning violent crime in the city.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
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Celina Stewart, the CEO of the League of Women Voters, agreed, telling Glamour that this sort of rhetoric should be treated seriously.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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When the full-time whistle blew, there was a huge roar and fist pump from Tottenham’s Kevin Danso.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
-
Williams roasted rising corner DJ James on the touchdown, which drew a roar from the crowd.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
30 July 2025
Noun
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Kernodle put up a fight, and the commotion got the attention of surviving roommate Dylan Mortensen.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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There were two other roommates in the home at the time of the killings that both survived and reported seeing the suspect and hearing commotion that night.—
Gabe Whisnant
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
Verb
-
The hugs stop and the arguments, the phone obsession, and the huffing cold shoulder starts.—
Cyndy Etler,
Hartford Courant,
28 July 2025
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The trail huffs up 1,000 feet per mile, traversing talus slopes and narrow ridgelines en route to a dizzying view of Yellowstone Lake.—
Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan,
Outside Online,
3 June 2025
Noun
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For all his bombast online, for instance, Marcus has said that today’s chatbots are a legitimate breakthrough, just far from the breakthrough; for all of Altman’s petulance, OpenAI’s latest large reasoning models rely on new approaches not so dissimilar from Marcus’s own, decades-old ideas.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
8 July 2025
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Pacino not only opted for the lesser beard, but also plays his bespectacled character without bombast.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
6 June 2025
Noun
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The lack of an internal-combustion engine means that any EV manufacturer needs to solve for additional NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness), so RBW went down the rabbit hole chasing creaks and rattles.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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The only thing that cuts through the noise are stories.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In the north east of England, Sunderland are causing a stir.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
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Blackpink’s Rosé caused a stir in New York City this weekend, stepping out in two minimalist outfits that perfectly capture how to ace ’90s and early ’00s trends in 2025.—
Alexandre Marain,
Glamour,
28 July 2025
Noun
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Scientific reliability is swapped out in exchange for braggadocio about disrupting a medical status quo that may not even need it.—
Arthur Caplan & James Tabery,
Scientific American,
28 July 2025
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His musical template of youthful braggadocio and disarming sensitivity should be recognizable to anyone that has absorbed his work.—
Mosi Reeves,
Rolling Stone,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bluster. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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