1
as in rhetoric
boastful speech or writing
the other world leaders at the international conference had little interest in being subjected to the president's bombast
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in grandiloquence
language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere
you need less bombast and more substance in this speech on human rights
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bombast
McMahon had a career’s worth of lessons in the virtues of bombast, and also in the dangers of it.
—
Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
That’s not just because Miller’s presence rings bittersweet given the actor’s real life struggles and controversies today, but also because this relatively modest affair lacks most of Levinson’s aesthetic and bombast.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
Beirut — Strip away the bombast and superlatives.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
For all their bombast, the ICE and Border Patrol agents seemed to work no harder than any other faceless federal bureaucrats.
—Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bombast
Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
That’s not just because Miller’s presence rings bittersweet given the actor’s real life struggles and controversies today, but also because this relatively modest affair lacks most of Levinson’s aesthetic and bombast.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
Beirut — Strip away the bombast and superlatives.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
For all their bombast, the ICE and Border Patrol agents seemed to work no harder than any other faceless federal bureaucrats.
—Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bombast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bombast
Noun
-
Despite rhetoric, 'financial gravity' still drives most firms toward short-term gains, as the Business Roundtable's actions showed.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
This era of social media and national political rhetoric accentuate everyday differences.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
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
Noun
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This is another stride of lyricism, philosophy, I’m-the-best braggadocio, bravado.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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But for everything Gates said that might appeal to a frustrated Democrat like me, his Huntington Beach braggadocio continually won out.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Hammy magniloquence risks alienating viewers, not just for an evening but for life, as does obscurity.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
15 Mar. 2018
Noun
-
Previous efforts by intermediaries to bring the two sides together failed, and Trump earlier this week threatened to take control of Kharg Island, though many have dismissed his words as bluster.—
Vivian Salama,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
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Western, for his part, had by this time recovered something of his usual bluster, and began again upon the subject of Blifil, commending his estate and his family with great earnestness, as though these considerations alone ought to have settled the matter long since.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
Noun
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In the last year or two, there was chatter and debate whether Messi would actually be selected to join the national team again.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 June 2026
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If circumstances had gone Spain’s way with more clinical finishing or a Cape Verde defender making a mistake, then the result would have been different and a lot of the chatter currently happening (including here) would likely not be happening.—
Patrick Sung Cuadrado,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bombast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bombast. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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