as in gall
shameless boldness
the little squirt had the effrontery to deny eating any cookies, even with the crumbs still on his lips
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
To no one’s surprise, Axios reported last week that Republicans have the gall to consider more stealing from health care and day care to pay for a budget bill containing as much as $200 billion to fund the Iran war and immigration enforcement.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Possible diseases include powdery mildew, blight, crown rot, leaf gall, root rot, leaf spot, and rust.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Trigger-point injections reverse the hyper-irritability of nerves by inhibiting the influx of neurochemicals and re-regulating the function of various nerves.—
Dr. Patricia Richard,
Hartford Courant,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The illness, if severe enough, can cause vision loss and nerve pain.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While their energies differ, nearly all of them share the same basic drives (money, power, status) and the same fundamental flaws (greed, arrogance, selfishness).—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Their defensive style can look like arrogance or hostility.—
Paul Sanchez Ruiz,
The Conversation,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Not four years ago, Crocker remembers walking into the Superdome for the 2022 Final Four, in awe of the audacity of the event.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Moreover, currently sitting at 85 percent on the Tomatometer, reviews for The Drama have been generally good with some critics praising director Kristoffer Borgli’s audacity and the movie’s deliberate provocations as a means of addressing the messy current cultural moment.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Each player shuffled from side to side in unison to protect the centre of the pitch, with a bite in midfield whenever Arsenal had the temerity to funnel themselves into shooting positions.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Effrontery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effrontery. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
