as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
unleashed a slew of expletives upon losing the tennis match
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expletive
Among the surprising details in that report, Lee revealed that a long-time employee accidentally called president of baseball operations Craig Breslow an expletive during a public Zoom meeting.
—
Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
She was then heard yelling an expletive as the officials went back to the locker room.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2025
The caller said six or seven juveniles ran him off the road and yelled expletives at him and and flipped him off.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 24 June 2025
Trump’s frustration was palpable, using an expletive to hammer home his point.
—Sam Mednick, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for expletive
Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
She was then heard yelling an expletive as the officials went back to the locker room.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2025
The caller said six or seven juveniles ran him off the road and yelled expletives at him and and flipped him off.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 24 June 2025
Trump’s frustration was palpable, using an expletive to hammer home his point.
—Sam Mednick, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for expletive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expletive
Noun
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Ancient 'pharaoh's curse' fungus shows promise in killing cancer cells.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2025
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The song breaks Booth's life-defining generational curse.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Noun
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Bonus: For every 100ml bottle sold, Omorovicza donates 5% to Water.org, supporting global access to safe water. Jones Road Miracle Balm, $40 Women over 50 swear by this award-winning, Bobbi Brown-founded brand for its nourishing and hydrating qualities.—
Kristen Philipkoski,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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The word was forbidden in their household and treated like a swear.—
Ariana Yaptangco,
Glamour,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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It was trained on the entire Internet to pull out statistical patterns in the language usage.—
Alex Morris,
Rolling Stone,
14 July 2025
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The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.—
Lesley Cosme Torres,
People.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
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In a rambling screed of nearly eight minutes, the caller unloaded a fusillade of profanities.—
John Tuohy,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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The city’s agreement with Clear Channel and Outfront Foster has similar terms, including several prohibitions such as no motion, no illumination between midnight and 6 a.m., and no violence, profanity, adult goods or services, or political and religious content.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
18 June 2025
Noun
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The defendants, who were white, also used racial epithets toward Majors, prosecutors said.—
Kelly Puente,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
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Musk and Trump’s potent political alliance seemed to meet a dramatic end a month ago in an exchange of blistering epithets, with Trump threatening to go after Musk’s business interests, and Musk calling for Trump’s impeachment.—
Meg Kinnard,
Chicago Tribune,
1 July 2025
Noun
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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 18 Jul. 2025.
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