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
Willmett and Harris are clearly uninterested in euphemisms, so there’s an exaggerated naivety to their lyrics.
—
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
8 June 2026
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
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
8 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for euphemisms
Noun
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Dani provides the voiceover, filled with strained metaphors about earthquakes and sermons on the importance of summer, but the pretense that the dialogue is taken from his interrogation is quickly abandoned.
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These metaphors aren’t just ours, either.
Noun
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But the First Amendment is more than a few eloquent phrases about free speech, and its principles are far from historical relics.
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Crypto Clipper monitors clipboard contents for patterns that are consistent with standardized 12- or 24-word seed phrases.
Noun
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Engineering and architecture students fared best, in money terms, followed by business and economics majors.
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In terms of the creator economy, a conference track called Seriesly Creators will be dedicated to creator IP and emerging models for series.
Cite this Entry
“Euphemisms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/euphemisms. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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