as in curses
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 expletives
In a section down the first-base line, a sea of shirtless fans chanted expletives at the Phillies but quieted a bit when Brandon Marsh tied the game with a two-run blast on a sweeper that caught too much plate.
—
Spencer Nusbaum,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
Videos circulating on social media showed drones repeatedly striking the facility, sending large fireballs upward - and expletives tumbling out of many a Russian mouth.
—
Charles Maynes,
NPR,
18 June 2026
The team has the power to do that, likely fueling his frustration and use of expletives.
—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
Ohtani was frustrated with his command against Colorado despite winning his last start, dropping a few expletives that were picked up by the on-field mic.
—
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Trump used expletives to convey his disapproval of Israel’s plans, which threatened to upend negotiations with Iran.
—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
And while no expletives were actually spoken during Thursday's episode, the fourth hour of Today has been host to several slip-ups from stars and co-hosts alike.
—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
This car will induce whiplash in the unprepared and expletives from those who have been forewarned.
—
Tim Stevens,
ArsTechnica,
26 May 2026
The full-length rerecording—now shorn of expletives—celebrates the record’s 10th anniversary (with the unintended consequence of sparking a discourse about Toledo’s ostensible religious views).
—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2026
Spencer Nusbaum,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
Videos circulating on social media showed drones repeatedly striking the facility, sending large fireballs upward - and expletives tumbling out of many a Russian mouth.
—
Charles Maynes,
NPR,
18 June 2026
The team has the power to do that, likely fueling his frustration and use of expletives.
—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
Ohtani was frustrated with his command against Colorado despite winning his last start, dropping a few expletives that were picked up by the on-field mic.
—
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Trump used expletives to convey his disapproval of Israel’s plans, which threatened to upend negotiations with Iran.
—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
And while no expletives were actually spoken during Thursday's episode, the fourth hour of Today has been host to several slip-ups from stars and co-hosts alike.
—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
This car will induce whiplash in the unprepared and expletives from those who have been forewarned.
—
Tim Stevens,
ArsTechnica,
26 May 2026
The full-length rerecording—now shorn of expletives—celebrates the record’s 10th anniversary (with the unintended consequence of sparking a discourse about Toledo’s ostensible religious views).
—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expletives
Noun
-
Morgan and her Judgment Day cronies tried to bribe Danhausen to put curses on their opponents.
-
In baseball, curses are no joking matter, and the Curse of the FTD Burger might now have befallen the team.
Noun
-
Right next to her crowd of women's sports advocates was a mosh of pro-transgender activists wearing costumes and shouting obscenities.
-
An original call for service indicated that suspects pulled up to a CBS media vehicle and began shouting racial obscenities at a CBS cameraman who is Black, a law enforcement source said.
Noun
-
There are faint smudges of pastel crayon on the wall and carved profanities with paint chips revealing the previous cerulean walls.
-
And profanities featured in roughly 10% of all clauses, used at a rate substantially higher than the same speakers would use while awake.
Noun
-
Since construction at the Eagle Rock site — so nicknamed after a decrepit colonnade — first stalled in 2008, the only thing that accumulated faster than the garbage and graffiti were the epithets from outraged community members.
-
The Chawla said multiple campaign road signs were vandalized with racial epithets in two separate incidents.
Cite this Entry
“Expletives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expletives. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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