1
as in rhetoric
language marked by abstractions, jargon, euphemisms, and circumlocutions
the reporter listened to the senator's double-talk for about 30 seconds, and then repeated the question
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in nonsense
unintelligible or meaningless talk
the man on the sidewalk rattled off some double-talk, shoved the petition in my face, and before I realized it, I had added my signature to the list
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of double-talk
Driving the news: The statement was published only in English on the Facebook page of the Israeli Prime Minister's Office — potentially another case of double-talk by Netanyahu.
—
Barak Ravid, Axios, 27 Sep. 2024
The GOP Senate candidate in Arizona, whose brand is a combative, never-back-down MAGA politics, has adopted a position on the issue that is nearly indistinguishable from that of double-talking Democrats.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 14 Apr. 2024
Pat Paulsen, a master of dry wit, delivered droll, double-talk editorials on social issues before mounting a presidential campaign in 1968 with the Straight Talkin’ American Government (STAG) Party.
—Fred A. Bernstein, Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2023
What new form of narrative, what gory amalgam of truth and spectacle, what double-talking rough beast approaches?
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2023
If his pre-prison projects were almost entirely freestyled, these songs are more tightly written, honoring the fallen, indicting the double-talk of the industry, powered by the energy of a bowstring being pulled back for a half-decade.
—Jeff Weiss, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2023
Barak Ravid, Axios, 27 Sep. 2024
The GOP Senate candidate in Arizona, whose brand is a combative, never-back-down MAGA politics, has adopted a position on the issue that is nearly indistinguishable from that of double-talking Democrats.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 14 Apr. 2024
Pat Paulsen, a master of dry wit, delivered droll, double-talk editorials on social issues before mounting a presidential campaign in 1968 with the Straight Talkin’ American Government (STAG) Party.
—Fred A. Bernstein, Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2023
What new form of narrative, what gory amalgam of truth and spectacle, what double-talking rough beast approaches?
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2023
If his pre-prison projects were almost entirely freestyled, these songs are more tightly written, honoring the fallen, indicting the double-talk of the industry, powered by the energy of a bowstring being pulled back for a half-decade.
—Jeff Weiss, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double-talk
Noun
-
Executives at the show, which closes on Sunday, pointed to shifting alliances and tougher rhetoric from major powers as a catalyst for the trend.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Lowering prescription drug costs is a worthy objective, and TrumpRx may be a bold approach in rhetoric, but the proposal as currently discussed leaves crucial implementation questions unanswered.—
Sreedhar Potarazu,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
No gimmicks, no nonsense, straight shooter, the woman who gets things done.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
This was the nonsense that was going on here last week, just like every week.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Meaningless gobbledygook to an outsider, yet powerful to those who know how to wield those sounds properly.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Bob Kring DeBary Congressional bill is full of greed The Great Big Beautiful Bill reads like 950 pages of of gobbledygook distilled into four words: Greedy, stingy, mean and short-sighted.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
Read a book and sip tea in front of the central fireplace, swim between the indoor and outdoor sections of the glimmering pool, and soak your aching quads in the hot tubs under the evergreens and aspens while listening to the peaceful babble of Gore Creek.—
Sarah Kuta,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Now the babble about them is back.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Imagine designing a system that conforms to that gibberish, or the ensuing court battles.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
25 Jan. 2026
-
In Anthropic’s experiments, as few as 250 malicious documents were enough to induce AI models to output gibberish.—
Craig S. Smith,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The bizarre reality of daily life in a Southeast Asian scam compound—the tactics, the tone, the mix of cruelty and upbeat corporate prattle—is revealed at an unprecedented level of resolution in a leak of documents to WIRED from a whistleblower inside one such sprawling fraud operation.—
Andy Greenberg,
Wired News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Trump prattles on about the economy while the actors freeze behind him in their ancient Galilee garb.—
Rosa Escandon,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Now, there’s a bit of rigmarole in getting that price, which includes (according to Google Translate) nabbing a time-specific coupon worth $286 and trading in your old phone.—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Everyone was perfectly lovely and perfectly tepid about going through the whole rigamarole again.—
Lauren Bans,
Vulture,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Out in the hallway, the raucous chatter of teenagers echoed in the halls, and cars honked on the busy street outside to pick them up.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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The container shipping company has been the subject of recent chatter regarding a possible sale.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Double-talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double-talk. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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