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
Steinman’s music has always been described as big, bombastic, and operatic.
—
Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
But the English-speaking pontiff has risen as an influential American critic living in the Vatican, using his platform on the world stage as a moral contrast to the president's more bombastic rhetoric and aggressive use of executive power.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2026
There was a lot of really bombastic language that happened throughout this war.
—Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
The three-minute-plus earworm is more of a bombastic wakeup call than a nursery rhyme.
—Jae-Ha Kim, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bombastic
Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
But the English-speaking pontiff has risen as an influential American critic living in the Vatican, using his platform on the world stage as a moral contrast to the president's more bombastic rhetoric and aggressive use of executive power.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2026
There was a lot of really bombastic language that happened throughout this war.
—Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
The three-minute-plus earworm is more of a bombastic wakeup call than a nursery rhyme.
—Jae-Ha Kim, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bombastic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bombastic
Adjective
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Steyer’s emphasis on reducing regulatory barriers and permitting costs to address California’s housing crisis represents a substantive policy contribution that could appeal to voters prioritizing pragmatic solutions over rhetorical combat.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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In the following chapters of Quand j’étais photographe, Nadar plays on the rhetorical and material slipperiness of invention to craft a curious portrait of photography’s first fifty-odd years.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Visitors mill around the town statue of Richard Warren, Widow’s Bay’s first mayor, who was then known as Lord Protector of the Island, which seems like a really inflated job title.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
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If your summer vacation budget is straining under inflated gas prices and airfare, these deals may provide relief.—
Jason Stauffer,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Leo opened his visit to Pompeii by meeting with sick and disabled people who are cared for by a charity center affiliated with the sanctuary, which Leo’s namesake, Pope Leo XIII, declared a pontifical basilica in 1901.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
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That public spat has overshadowed his pontifical tour of four African countries, which ended Thursday with a Mass for thousands of people in Malabo, the former capital of Equatorial Guinea.—
Claudio Lavanga,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bombastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bombastic. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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