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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To review or object to instances where our partners assert a legitimate interest in utilizing your data, please visit our vendors page.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
3 Oct. 2025
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But many have objected to doing that as part of the budget process.—
Simon F. Haeder,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Federal officials reported the arrests of 13 people protesting Friday near the facility, which has been frequently targeted during the administration’s surge of immigration enforcement this fall.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
4 Oct. 2025
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Other popular tourist destinations to protest mass tourism include Venice, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; and the Canary Islands, per Travel and Tour World.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Jiang and his colleagues complain over video chat about their bland meals, but the people who produce, prepare and deliver the food remain invisible.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
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Yost and others who opposed the sale of books from the library complained that HUC should not sell part of its collection to ease its financial problems.—
Dan Horn,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Expostulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expostulate. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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