as in rhetorical
marked by the use of impressive-sounding but mostly meaningless words and phrases
a bombastic speech intended to impress the voters in her congressional district
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Recent Examples of bombastic
Trump’s bombastic, reckless, and often dismissive rhetoric toward our allies would make anyone question our commitment, not to mention our moral compass.
—
S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
His role in Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly was measured, less bombastic than Uncut Gems, and the response was positive at every stop on the campaign trail.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 22 Jan. 2026
That means the recall effort led by Alex Otaola, the bombastic Spanish-language YouTube host, needs about 550 signatures per day to stay on pace to meet the deadline in four months.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Gothic visuals and bombastic performances are sure to pull horror buffs into Penny Dreadful's world.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bombastic
S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
His role in Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly was measured, less bombastic than Uncut Gems, and the response was positive at every stop on the campaign trail.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 22 Jan. 2026
That means the recall effort led by Alex Otaola, the bombastic Spanish-language YouTube host, needs about 550 signatures per day to stay on pace to meet the deadline in four months.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Gothic visuals and bombastic performances are sure to pull horror buffs into Penny Dreadful's world.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bombastic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bombastic
Adjective
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Chancellor Friedrich Merz in recent months has enjoyed a series of successes, both rhetorical and diplomatic, that deserve more attention and praise than has to date been received.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
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These are not rhetorical musings.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Whereas Apollo space suits were akin to wearing an inflated balloon that greatly hindered motion, the AxEMU is designed with flexible joints that give astronauts mobility to kneel, jog or even do the splits.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
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Haber said in these contracts, Coto agreed to pay inflated prices for services for the building, including cleaning, security and maintenance.—
Catherine Odom
February 5,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The bishops further authorized a new edition of the Roman Pontifical for pontifical Masses, expected to be completed by 2027, with Vatican approval pending for some rites, according to the Catholic News Agency.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Nov. 2025
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In its report, the pontifical commission highlights failures in the Italian church.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bombastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bombastic. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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