as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
unleashed a slew of expletives upon losing the tennis match
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expletive
The 3-2 vote to remove Councilmember Iva Walton as mayor came during a nearly five-hour meeting that descended into chaos, with expletives and insults exchanged among council members, city staff and other attendees.
—
Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 14 Aug. 2025
But if your finger or expletives lead to aggressive driving or violence, the road rage can lead to trouble with the law.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
And in a separate incident, another Jewish student who was also holding an Israeli flag said that they were harassed by protesters who yelled expletives at them.
—Kimmy Yam, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2025
Dart could be seen dropping expletives on the sideline after his offense settled for a field goal and then the defense allowed a 58-yard Mitchell Trubisky completion to Tyrell Shavers against O’Donnell Fortune to set up a Buffalo field goal just before halftime.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expletive
Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 14 Aug. 2025
But if your finger or expletives lead to aggressive driving or violence, the road rage can lead to trouble with the law.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
And in a separate incident, another Jewish student who was also holding an Israeli flag said that they were harassed by protesters who yelled expletives at them.
—Kimmy Yam, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2025
Dart could be seen dropping expletives on the sideline after his offense settled for a field goal and then the defense allowed a 58-yard Mitchell Trubisky completion to Tyrell Shavers against O’Donnell Fortune to set up a Buffalo field goal just before halftime.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expletive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expletive
Noun
-
Now, the princess must gather enough strength from herself and her triplet brothers to undo a curse.—
Sydni Ellis,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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As rocks and curses flew from the street, bullets spat from the middle window on the south side of the house.—
Neal Rubin,
Freep.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Taylor and Hinkle swear by bonnets, while Royal and others recommend tying longer styles into a loose bun or braid before wrapping.—
Larry Stansbury,
Essence,
4 Sep. 2025
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Patullo tore off his headset with a rare and celebratory swear.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The language was tacked on in a last-minute amendment just before the legislature adjourned for the 2024 session.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
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Various exemptions for the requirement include having certain disabilities, having less than three years of formal English language learner instruction or receiving intensive support.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Ellis then claimed that Cardi cut her face with a fingernail and spat on her while yelling profanity and racial slurs at Ellis.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The Ada County Highway District said in a news release that in addition to profanities and inappropriate gestures, road-work crews have been subject to more dangerous driving behavior, including aggressive actions that have led to more police response — and even to criminal charges.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Then there was the woman who was Speaker of the House and would walk around talking to herself, screaming out epithets to imaginary people.—
Larry David,
New Yorker,
28 Aug. 2025
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Terrell represented a Black teenager who’d been expelled from a Los Angeles high school for punching a white referee during a football game after the referee allegedly had directed racial epithets at him.—
Peter Elkind,
ProPublica,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.—
NR Editors,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2020
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The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.—
Time,
Time,
11 June 2019
Noun
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And, when the alarm wails hours before dawn, human cusses of angry protest join the chorus of budget appliances failing before their time.—
Virginia Konchan,
The New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2024
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My grandmother extended a ladder up into this tough old cuss of a tree and climbed up, at some risk, to pick the bulging fruit.—
Jim Meddleton,
The Christian Science Monitor,
1 May 2024
Cite this Entry
“Expletive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expletive. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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