as in decree
an order publicly issued by an authority
the head office issued a bull banning the use of alcohol at all on-site social functions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
slang
as in policeman
a member of a force charged with law enforcement at the local level
the town's drug dealers and bulls were well acquainted with one another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in rhetoric
boastful speech or writing
an interview filled with the usual bull about how seriously she takes the art of acting
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
a guy who's always trying to sell some sucker a line of bull
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to brag
to praise or express pride in one's own possessions, qualities, or accomplishments often to excess
no one bought all his bulling about how he had beaten the stock market
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 bull
Shaad D’souza,
Pitchfork,
22 June 2026
Thirteen girls and a bull named Xanthus.
—
Literary Hub,
22 June 2026
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
5 Oct. 2025
But as retail investors push the market higher, and bulls cheer liquidity support and policy tailwinds, some experts are raising questions if the market is entering bubble territory.
—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bull
Noun
This is Rodrigo’s third ride on the unpredictable mechanical bull that is the major-label pop industry.
—
Shaad D’souza,
Pitchfork,
22 June 2026
Thirteen girls and a bull named Xanthus.
—
Literary Hub,
22 June 2026
Verb
Federal officers fired rubber bulled and used tear gas.
—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
5 Oct. 2025
But as retail investors push the market higher, and bulls cheer liquidity support and policy tailwinds, some experts are raising questions if the market is entering bubble territory.
—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bull
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bull
Noun
-
Abandoned during the Mexican period of California history, the mission was returned to the Catholic Church in 1862 via a decree from President Abraham Lincoln.
-
Just over a year ago, a federal judge dismissed a possible federal consent decree with the department, leading to now-former police chief Brian O'Hara, Mayor Jacob Frey and leaders from the state human rights department to double down on a joint commitment to the local decree.
Noun
-
Yesterday, the Sun asked this question of a wide variety of people – an auxiliary policeman, a protest marcher, a steelworker, a politician, a barber, a bridegroom, a bootblack and others.
-
The pivotal match itself — the semifinal encounter against hosts Uruguay — is also more convincingly depicted and dramatic, particularly for how one of the goals is assisted by an interfering policeman (incredibly, this did actually happen).
Noun
-
To us, this rhetoric is not simply an innocent expression of nostalgia.
-
Worse, the administration has done so by accepting what was surely the regime’s rhetoric.
Noun
-
Even Hauser can’t rescue this culturally insensitive, stereotype-perpetuating nonsense.
-
Some beer companies even make canned versions of the drink, but forget that nonsense — there is nothing better than a fresh, handmade michelada.
Verb
-
That lawsuit, in part, accuses City Attorney Miko Brown of pushing airport officials to investigate a charter airline's safety record -- not because of genuine safety concerns, but to create legal cover for a city council vote that put $90 million in federal grant money at risk.
-
Regulatory scrutiny is also pushing the conversation.
Verb
-
That means Chevy still has plenty to brag about.
-
The old corporate flex of bragging about 80-hour workweeks, where busyness is the proxy for importance, and volume serves as the proof of commitment, is more and more a liability in today’s times.
Noun
-
Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse The highly agile Getty shooter Alan Crowhurst has done us a great favor by bringing concrete cloakroom evidence of the many social and administrative challenges that the (famous) Royal Ascot costume edicts require in order to be properly met.
-
The memorandum includes a pledge by Iran to never purchase or construct nuclear weapons — a vow the Islamic Republic has made multiple times before, including by signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, in a religious edict issued by the late supreme leader and in the Obama-era nuclear accord.
Noun
-
Thursday’s raid was a part of the NYPD’s ongoing efforts to crack down on the city’s trade in bootleg merchandise, and follows five raids targeting vendors in Lower Manhattan between May 20 and June 12, cops said.
-
Dublin, Ohio, gave a robot cop a trial run inside a public parking garage.
Cite this Entry
“Bull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bull. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
