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
Wu, notably, is framed as the instigator in the relationship; Cheung has a few priceless reaction shots, as Lam can’t believe—or, ultimately, resist—his student’s seductive effrontery.
—
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 23 July 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
Miller, putting a spin of effrontery on every line, is the perfect actor to play this corkscrew superhero.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for effrontery
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 23 July 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
Miller, putting a spin of effrontery on every line, is the perfect actor to play this corkscrew superhero.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for effrontery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effrontery
Noun
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Take, for instance, another women’s sports team that had the gall to outperform their male counterparts, the U.S. Women’s National Team.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
6 Aug. 2025
-
People were essentially imprisoned in their homes, yet Newsom had the gall to dine mask-free at French Laundry with lobbyists.—
Houman Hemmati,
Oc Register,
20 July 2025
Noun
-
The surgery comes with risks, including nerve injury and a loss of range of motion.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Once in the bloodstream, the bacteria can go to various parts of the body including the heart, central nervous system, the brain or peripheral nerves.—
Asuka Koda,
CNN Money,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The failure to heed early warnings from experts like Makary and Bhattacharya—now in positions to reshape federal health policy—underscores the arrogance of it all.—
Houman Hemmati,
Oc Register,
20 July 2025
-
One of the habits of being trustworthy is being humble, so when assertiveness tips into arrogance this is a red flag for potential clients.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
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Martell has long championed freedom, audacity and excellence, and is continuing its cultural journey by shining a spotlight on the people and platforms shaping Afrobeats from within.—
Nkosiyati Khumalo,
Billboard,
6 Aug. 2025
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In 1930, in an act of extraordinary audacity, St. Clair even testified against the N.Y.P.D. for corruption.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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That’s because every time a Chinese company has the temerity to succeed stateside, protectionist impulses within the political and administrative classes get to work on discrediting the company with charges of – yes – espionage.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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In this case, a jealous pope (President Trump) delights in humiliating an upstart bishop (Gov. DeSantis) for having the temerity to challenge his supremacy as Autocrat In Chief.—
Ron Cunningham,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Effrontery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effrontery. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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