as in swearing
to use offensive or indecent language
the little girl clapped her hands over her ears when her brother started cussing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cussing
The pastor seems to enjoy cussing, or half-cussing, while on the green.
—
Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
Many would consider cussing those law enforcement officers an act of rebellious patriotism.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2025
Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
Many would consider cussing those law enforcement officers an act of rebellious patriotism.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cussing
Verb
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Warren was bleeding but conscious, propped on an elbow, ordering Sneaky to get the sheep back, swearing when the man tried to move him.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
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Another research project showed that negative spectator behaviors like swearing or threatening language was observed at 68% of events.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Davidson’s Tourette’s causes involuntary tics, and he was heard cursing throughout the show, however the BBC failed to censor the N-word during its broadcast, causing further harm.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
3 Mar. 2026
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Jones also played two tapes in which Karen can be heard screaming and cursing at her daughter.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cussing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cussing. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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