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Definition of boastnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word boast distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of boast are brag, crow, and vaunt. While all these words mean "to express pride in oneself or one's accomplishments," boast often suggests ostentation and exaggeration, but it may imply a claiming with proper and justifiable pride.

boasts of every trivial success
the town boasts one of the best museums in the area

When might brag be a better fit than boast?

The words brag and boast can be used in similar contexts, but brag suggests crudity and artlessness in glorifying oneself.

bragging of their exploits

When is crow a more appropriate choice than boast?

In some situations, the words crow and boast are roughly equivalent. However, crow usually implies exultant boasting or bragging.

crowed after winning the championship

How is vaunt related to other words for boast?

Vaunt usually connotes more pomp and bombast than boast and less crudity or naïveté than brag.

vaunted his country's military might

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 boast
Verb
Toronto now boasts the world’s third best tech talent market, ahead of New York City but behind San Francisco and Seattle, according to an annual analysis by commercial real estate firm CBRE. Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026 Hugging Face — the AI company at the center of a hacking incident earlier this year that raised cybersecurity concerns — has exploded in popularity, now boasting 18 million users, providing an open-source hub for collaborative machine learning. Jake Angelo, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
That standard still holds for his frequent barrages of boasts, insults, threats, grouses and indecipherable dispatches via Truth Social. Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026 There are few places where contradictions between the president's boasts and the economic reality of his tariffs are more likely to collide ahead of November's midterm elections than in battleground Michigan, which holds its primary on Tuesday. ABC News, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for boast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boast
Verb
  • Visit Jacksonville brags that the food diversity the city boasts is a result of the presence of Camp Lejeune, which brings in people from all over the country, and the world.
    Eva Flowe, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Hamas officials bragged that the currency would be untraceable and their websites offered instructions for how to make anonymous donations, the affidavits say.
    Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The budget is likely to retain a focus on devolution, greater public control of public services and more private sector partnerships, but contain little to change the macro outlook, Monks said in a note Monday.
    Jenni Reid, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Most of the genome is non-coding and contains a mix of things, including centromeres, which help ensure chromosomes are divided evenly between cells, and caps that protect the chromosome ends.
    John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 9 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Most of the treasure’s weight comes from bars, jewelry and silver clips, with coins only making up a small part of it.
    Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
  • In this exclusive excerpt, Austin discusses her decision to part with everything, and the process of combing through the home and finding the treasures Mercury left behind.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • But this year, the evening at the jewel-box Teatro Goldoni carried a deeper resonance.
    Tiziana Cardini, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The jewelry house did not confirm a price, but Page Six estimated that the jewels could be worth up to $55 million in total.
    Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • His career highlight was winning the NBA Slum Dunk contest during All Star weekend in February.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Dern kicked off the tribute following the career spanning highlight reel.
    Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The Nolan Ryan Fan Club might disagree, but even Ryan isn’t staking a claim to that honor.
    Jayson Stark, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The Golden Eye Award honors actors and actresses who shape the current cinematic year while also ranking among the most significant performers of their generation.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • But at the end of last term, Madrid president Florentino Perez turned to him to shake up a side which had failed to win a major trophy for a second successive season.
    Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Margo’s Got Money Troubles, The Pitt, and Widow’s Bay all picked up hecka trophies.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • But for all that pain, there was pride to be had on days that marked major changes in the country’s history, all launched from the Space Coast.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
  • For those who take pride in their pouty lips (or their ability to talk their way out of just about anything), a swipe of lipstick and nothing else is a cool way to look put together without the hustle of actually putting yourself together.
    Loren Savini, Allure, 4 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Boast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boast. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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