as in rhetoric
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
Could the wound spring of questioning and longing and relationship anxiety sound bombastic, or fun, or like an ’80s pop song?
—
Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2025
His bombastic style, unfiltered rhetoric, and policy disruptions galvanized the Republican base while triggering a seismic reaction among Democrats.
—Nafees Alam, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
Opening with the bombastic Foo Fighters-esque title track, Turnstile tore through their 75-minute set with ease.
—Daniel Kohn, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
Pastors mourned Kirk both as a friend who built close personal relationships with evangelical leaders and a bombastic advocate for conservative Christian causes, who openly mixed politics with religion.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bombastic
Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2025
His bombastic style, unfiltered rhetoric, and policy disruptions galvanized the Republican base while triggering a seismic reaction among Democrats.
—Nafees Alam, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
Opening with the bombastic Foo Fighters-esque title track, Turnstile tore through their 75-minute set with ease.
—Daniel Kohn, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
Pastors mourned Kirk both as a friend who built close personal relationships with evangelical leaders and a bombastic advocate for conservative Christian causes, who openly mixed politics with religion.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bombastic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bombastic
rhetorical
Adjective
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The rhetorical battle over blame and ending the federal government shutdown is getting hotter, at least for some in Arizona’s congressional delegation.—
Ronald J. Hansen,
AZCentral.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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These messages are more than rhetorical escalation.—
Stephanie A,
The Conversation,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bombastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bombastic. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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