as in gall
shameless boldness
the little squirt had the effrontery to deny eating any cookies, even with the crumbs still on his lips
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Recent Examples of effrontery
Both clever, the younger had the effrontery to be popular and sporty, too.
—
Esther Freud, Vogue, 2 July 2025
Ani is one of HQ’s best girls, and Madison plays her with a bawdy effrontery and a disarming grin that seems to widen by a mile under neon lights.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
Blocking the medical board from physician regulation is the worst effrontery to medical professionalism, puts the public at unacceptable risk, and might be a place for bad physician actors to be shrouded and protected.
—Joel B. Zivot, STAT, 26 Feb. 2024
These companies apparently have the effrontery to resist the attempts to reduce their access to capital being organized, primarily, by a largely unaccountable cabal of activists, financial institutions, and state pension funds.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 7 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for effrontery
Esther Freud, Vogue, 2 July 2025
Ani is one of HQ’s best girls, and Madison plays her with a bawdy effrontery and a disarming grin that seems to widen by a mile under neon lights.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
Blocking the medical board from physician regulation is the worst effrontery to medical professionalism, puts the public at unacceptable risk, and might be a place for bad physician actors to be shrouded and protected.
—Joel B. Zivot, STAT, 26 Feb. 2024
These companies apparently have the effrontery to resist the attempts to reduce their access to capital being organized, primarily, by a largely unaccountable cabal of activists, financial institutions, and state pension funds.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 7 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for effrontery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effrontery
Noun
-
Wild raspberries, black raspberries, and blackberries all carry diseases like mosaic virus, orange rust, anthracnose, cane blight, spur blight, and crown or cane gall.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 June 2026
-
Feeding mites produce the fluffy gall that cannot be rubbed off the plants.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
The decline in oil prices helped ease nerves about inflation, bringing US Treasury yields lower.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Early statements made by the occupational therapist to police led to speculation that Hogan’s death was related to damage done to his phrenic nerve during a recent surgery.—
David Fischer,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Deficient Humility manifests as arrogance, which can fracture teams and alienate fans.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
His mixture of insecurity and arrogance was eye-catching.—
PhotoVogue,
Vogue,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Nobody was lamenting his lack of audacity on the base paths.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
-
And what do the fates of these men say about how and through whom the show defines audacity — a word that has two different interpretations and uses?—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
By having the temerity to urge Americans to break away from London, Paine was making the case of open and independent discourse and freedom of the press.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
26 May 2026
-
After Los Angeles Unified delivered 3,200 pink slips to teachers and employees last month, the United Teachers Los Angeles has the temerity to strike for higher pay.—
Lance Christensen,
Oc Register,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Effrontery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effrontery. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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