as in metaphors
a mild or pleasant word group of words that is used instead of one that is unpleasant or offensive
using "eliminate" as a euphemism for "kill" She spoke in euphemisms when recounting the expletive-laden tirade.
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Recent Examples of euphemisms
Discussing why people use euphemisms online prepares children to pause and ask questions when unfamiliar terms appear.
—
Sharlette A. Kellum, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026
When Oklahoma missed out on the NCAA Tournament, AD Roger Denny announced that coach Porter Moser was staying and offered up one of the great euphemisms of this era.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026
Now there were no euphemisms for Germany’s leader.
—Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
Some of the suspects try to minimize their actions with euphemisms or paraphrases; others do so with explanations that the prosecutors find utterly implausible.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2026
In a year of cancellations and euphemisms, the city mounted a counterprogram that was quietly insurrectionary, stubbornly joyous.
—The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
And even ages 8 to 10 should be OK, depending on your thoughts about PG romantic intimacy and use of clever euphemisms.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Nov. 2025
Sharlette A. Kellum, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026
When Oklahoma missed out on the NCAA Tournament, AD Roger Denny announced that coach Porter Moser was staying and offered up one of the great euphemisms of this era.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026
Now there were no euphemisms for Germany’s leader.
—Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
Some of the suspects try to minimize their actions with euphemisms or paraphrases; others do so with explanations that the prosecutors find utterly implausible.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2026
In a year of cancellations and euphemisms, the city mounted a counterprogram that was quietly insurrectionary, stubbornly joyous.
—The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
And even ages 8 to 10 should be OK, depending on your thoughts about PG romantic intimacy and use of clever euphemisms.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for euphemisms
Noun
-
The artist has described works like this one as metaphors for the violence of colonialism in her home country.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
4 May 2026
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Ebel even alternates between hockey and baseball metaphors.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
Noun
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Wright’s approach to the saxophone is often cubist in nature, reducing the music to isolated phrases and sounds and then battering them from every conceivable angle.—
Levi Dayan,
Pitchfork,
11 May 2026
-
The three phrases below aren’t dramatic declarations.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Beauty on the Block will mark the organization’s most significant event in terms of scale, and will be followed in September by its flagship Black Beauty Talks summit, which will be held at The New York Times’ TheTimesCenter.—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
6 May 2026
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Cerrudo often tells dancers not to think in terms of an individual step to execute but as a sensation.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Euphemisms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/euphemisms. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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