as in interpretive
serving to explain
an expository piece on the workings of the internal-combustion engine
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Recent Examples of expository
The film is obvious in telegraphing its spooky sequences and its expository ones.
—
J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
But the artifacts of the New Literalism seem to embrace mediation, even to double down on it with their supplementary signposts, historical snapshots, and expository tics.
—Namwali Serpell, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2025
The first couple episodes begin with ominous cold opens new to the material, tackling the expository scientific explanation for the horrors to come in clever ways.
—A.a. Dowd, Chron, 10 Jan. 2023
Part of that can be attributed to the tendency to tidy up Big Conversations with pat remarks and swift expository dialogue.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for expository
J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
But the artifacts of the New Literalism seem to embrace mediation, even to double down on it with their supplementary signposts, historical snapshots, and expository tics.
—Namwali Serpell, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2025
The first couple episodes begin with ominous cold opens new to the material, tackling the expository scientific explanation for the horrors to come in clever ways.
—A.a. Dowd, Chron, 10 Jan. 2023
Part of that can be attributed to the tendency to tidy up Big Conversations with pat remarks and swift expository dialogue.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for expository
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expository
Adjective
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This includes visitor centers, campgrounds, and interpretive programming.—
Maryam Siddiqi,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Oct. 2025
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The back-up dancers captured interpretive elements of Carrión’s discography and demonstrated their skill and strength while performing gravity-defying breakdancing numbers and theatrical battle scenes.—
Rosy Alvarez,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The exercise itself is illustrative of an elevated standard.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
30 Sep. 2025
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While demographers, economists and sociologists agree on the challenges the declining birth rate could bring, some have argued that is also illustrative of societal progress—namely choice.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Expository.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expository. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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