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
As for any hint of bombast, by the standards of CBGBs, Talking Heads played at a volume that was nothing short of demure.
—
Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
Pacino not only opted for the lesser beard, but also plays his bespectacled character without bombast.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 6 June 2025
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
Jews tend to teach their children to be wary of fascism from a very young age, with its nationalist bombast, its cult of masculinity, its contempt for pluralism and its relentless, bludgeoning lies.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bombast
Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
Pacino not only opted for the lesser beard, but also plays his bespectacled character without bombast.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 6 June 2025
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
Jews tend to teach their children to be wary of fascism from a very young age, with its nationalist bombast, its cult of masculinity, its contempt for pluralism and its relentless, bludgeoning lies.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bombast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bombast
Noun
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Between February and May, when Dudek’s tenure ended, his erratic rhetoric and decisions routinely made front-page news.—
Eli Hager,
ProPublica,
8 Sep. 2025
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By moving from rhetoric to large-scale military action, Maduro is signaling that Venezuela will fight drug trafficking on its own terms while resisting Washington's narrative of Caracas as a narco-state.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 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
Noun
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This display exposes the campaign’s braggadocio.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
1 Sep. 2025
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Gulf Coast braggadocio, coupled with an incredibly effective government relations team, makes Bollinger an exciting-sounding partner.—
Craig Hooper,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Share wins as punchy screenshots Nobody has time for your three-paragraph humble brag about closing a big deal.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
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Archetypal playboy Eddie Irvine has always loved a humble brag, renowned for accumulating a long list boys toys assets after following a successful F1 career.—
Julia Zaltzman,
Robb Report,
24 May 2025
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
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Hoffman makes Ari all zingers and bluster, clearly masking an internal roiling in his brain, while Feldman has mastered the tightly wound nerd.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
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The bluster and bravado seemed completely out of step with how Red State lawmakers are heading into a flu season when risk of Covid steps up.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Two types of story dominated the chatter in the newsroom this week.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
7 Sep. 2025
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Read the Room While everyone’s all for friendly chatter before the game or between plays, once the ball’s in the air, many folks will want to focus all attention on what’s happening on screen.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bombast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bombast. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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