as in to object
to present an opposing opinion or argument
the concerned parents tried to expostulate with their daughter when she announced her intention to live on her own in New York City
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Recent Examples of expostulate
But her style, it is suggested (for what happened at those audiences was wholly confidential) was never to expostulate – merely to ask a leading question, or to drop a subtle hint.
—
Sarah Gristwood, CNN, 12 Sep. 2022
His humility does not work in his favor when promoting fights, and there is no hype man in Miocic’s corner expostulating his accolades.
—Justin Barrasso, SI.com, 14 Aug. 2019
Sarah Gristwood, CNN, 12 Sep. 2022
His humility does not work in his favor when promoting fights, and there is no hype man in Miocic’s corner expostulating his accolades.
—Justin Barrasso, SI.com, 14 Aug. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expostulate
Verb
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And, anyway, who but élitists would object to a big ballroom that looks like the banquet hall of a third-rate casino?—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
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To review or object to instances where our partners assert a legitimate interest in utilizing your data, please visit our vendors page.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Lee has protested at the Broadview ICE facility on several recent Fridays, taking issue with how ICE is picking up allegedly undocumented immigrants in the Chicago area, and how federal agents are deploying tear gas during protests in neighborhoods.—
Nicquel Terry Ellis,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
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But many who protested over the summer worry that irreparable damage has already occurred, and is being accelerated by the government shutdown.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In that appearance, Thilly moonwalked across the floor and performed a backspin before using his allotted five minutes to complain about rising taxes, according to CBS News New York.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
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Another woman, 59, complained of back pain, per the outlets.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Expostulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expostulate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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