as in rambling
passing from one topic to another
the speaker's discursive style made it difficult to understand his point
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Recent Examples of discursive
McPherson’s discursive humanism exactly suits both O’Reilly’s light directorial touch and the confident realism of his company of (largely) Irish actors.
—
Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
Set entirely in Linda’s Manhattan apartment, the film recreates that afternoon and the discursive exchange between the two.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 9 July 2025
Yet in Indiana, those old-school, discursive classes are over-represented on the crudest of chopping blocks.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025
As a result, the book has a discursive feel but is also very personal.
—John Baldoni, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discursive
Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
Set entirely in Linda’s Manhattan apartment, the film recreates that afternoon and the discursive exchange between the two.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 9 July 2025
Yet in Indiana, those old-school, discursive classes are over-represented on the crudest of chopping blocks.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025
As a result, the book has a discursive feel but is also very personal.
—John Baldoni, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discursive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discursive
Adjective
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The videos, which depict handwritten journals and a display of high-powered weaponry, paint a portrait of a person with a rambling and deeply nihilistic outlook, according to analyses by law enforcement and ABC News.—
Megan Forrester,
ABC News,
27 Aug. 2025
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There’s nothing worse than a long, rambling story that’s resolved in an only-mildly humorous ending.—
Jay Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The caravan experience appealed to Bella, not because of the wandering but, rather, because Cuthbertson offered structure.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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His experience in law enforcement, combined with his desire to improve search and rescue methods, led him to establish a program that addresses the specific challenges of locating wandering individuals and streamlines local agencies' efforts.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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At nearly 24,000 acres, the fire is advancing toward indirect containment lines as firing operations progress.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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In the past, these placements were also a reliable driver of indirect traffic, boosting your SERP visibility and nudging readers back to your site.—
Noa Eshed,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The path to achieving this goal was already a digressive one, weaving together singing competitions, cloned dogs and a bald-capped Fielder breastfeeding from a giant puppet.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
26 May 2025
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The tabloid reader commuting home on the No. 4 train was given the same all-access pass to his protean intellect and lyrical, digressive sentences as the Park Avenue neighbor of William F. Buckley’s reading him, fireside, in the more rarefied outlets.—
Ginia Bellafante,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discursive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discursive. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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