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
Relevance
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
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 bombast
The resulting game evokes the bombast of Japanese kaiju movies, the wonder of prestige nature documentaries, and sometimes even the brutality of factory farming, all while remaining its own undeniably majestic beast.
—
Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025
The doctor himself is characterized sometimes by boisterously chattering lines, sometimes by semi-Wagnerian bombast; at the end, his music turns elegiac, implicitly undercutting his dreams of beginning anew.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
On the face of it, a clash of bombast against guile; in reality, though Fonseca’s weight of shot ultimately triumphed, a showcase of two very multi-faceted talents.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
The Townshend-esque vibe is much stronger on Argent's original version of this song, but Kiss' reinvention is a vast improvement, weeding out the prog-rock bombast while venturing into Mott the Hoople territory.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bombast
Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025
The doctor himself is characterized sometimes by boisterously chattering lines, sometimes by semi-Wagnerian bombast; at the end, his music turns elegiac, implicitly undercutting his dreams of beginning anew.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
On the face of it, a clash of bombast against guile; in reality, though Fonseca’s weight of shot ultimately triumphed, a showcase of two very multi-faceted talents.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
The Townshend-esque vibe is much stronger on Argent's original version of this song, but Kiss' reinvention is a vast improvement, weeding out the prog-rock bombast while venturing into Mott the Hoople territory.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bombast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bombast
Noun
-
Most major 2026 Democratic gubernatorial candidates are sharpening their anti-Trump rhetoric.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Kim in recent years has sharpened his rhetoric toward Seoul and underscored his rejection of inter-Korean diplomacy.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Several of them can fly, and all have at least a touch of grandiloquence to them.—
Michael Nordine,
Variety,
11 Aug. 2022
Noun
-
Sure enough, Son did indeed suffer another precipitous fall, though today is once again brimming with braggadocio.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
24 Feb. 2026
-
The distortions of segregation in the South in the forties left their mark, to be sure, but behind his tropism for the limelight, underneath all the braggadocio that is mistaken for arrogance, lies Jesse Louis Jackson's greatest longing in life—the lust for legitimacy.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Hammy magniloquence risks alienating viewers, not just for an evening but for life, as does obscurity.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
15 Mar. 2018
Noun
-
Zappolo, the sportscaster, said there was a sweet teddy bear behind the game-day bluster.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Zappolo said there was a sweet teddy bear behind the game-day bluster.—
Eddie Pells,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Rumors and chatter fly around Indianapolis like a wildfire, and the nuances of the negotiation between Aubrey’s representation and the Cowboys were the latest victim.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Mar. 2026
-
These days, the chatter is more about the precarity of life in the United States.—
Lavender Au,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bombast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bombast. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
