1
as in voice
an act, process, or means of putting something into words
the poem is his expression of his grief upon the loss of his beloved wife
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Relevance
2
as in look
facial appearance regarded as an indication of mood or feeling
we could tell by the fans' expressions that the Chicago Cubs had lost again
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in term
a pronounceable series of letters having a distinct meaning especially in a particular field
the expression "John Doe" is used in legal proceedings to refer to a person whose actual name is either unknown or being withheld from the public
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4
as in phrase
a sequence of words having a specific meaning
the popular expression "raining cats and dogs" is meaningless in other languages
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of expression
Typically, museums narrate millennia of artistic expression as a series of progressive movements limited to the US and Europe, with everything else pushed to the margins.
—
Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Is a Broadway revival of Proof the ultimate theatrical expression of our Y2K nostalgia?
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Mature policymaking does not force a choice between infrastructure and imagination, or between economic growth and cultural expression.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
The importance of digital media from the region goes beyond free expression.
—Jane Lytvynenko, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expression
Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Is a Broadway revival of Proof the ultimate theatrical expression of our Y2K nostalgia?
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Mature policymaking does not force a choice between infrastructure and imagination, or between economic growth and cultural expression.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
The importance of digital media from the region goes beyond free expression.
—Jane Lytvynenko, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expression
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expression
Noun
-
January 20 – February 18 Your voice stands out today, and people are noticing.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Aquarius January 20 – February 18 Your voice stands out today, and people are noticing.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Here’s a look at several of those picks.—
Phil Thompson,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Here’s a look at some of the biggest winners and losers from the second and third rounds of the draft.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
If emotions rise, pause and restate what’s been agreed on in simple terms.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
-
In defending reasonableness, Lawlor is defending the exhausted majority—those who still want to live together on terms of mutual recognition.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That a two-word customer service phrase can generate millions of views says something about how rare deliberate warmth has become on the service floor.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Kluwe was at least capable of having a real discussion rather than just repeating trite phrases.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In some cases, the issue probably was the formulation.—
Kara McGrath,
Allure,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Rawls provided the most influential modern formulation of what reasonableness demands under conditions of pluralism—the condition under which the people in most of the world’s democracies live.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The title role is played by Jaafar Jackson, the son of Michael’s brother Jermaine, with a shy smile that’s faintly familiar and frenetic dance moves that are strongly familiar.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Wearing a bright green coat, black trousers and white shoes, the heavy-lidded, tousel-haired Elvis surveyed his audience with a half-smile on his lips and then cut loose with a three-piece band backing him up.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Sports Edition is The Athletic’s first-ever game, a daily puzzle designed for players to find connections between 16 words on the game board.—
Mark Cooper,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The application was to be accompanied by a fifteen-hundred-word example of the applicant’s prose and a letter saying why the applicant wanted to take the course.—
John McPhee,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This new flood of venture-capitalist-as-influencer platforms has promoted and naturalized a distinctive military-industrial idiom that closely—and strangely—apes certain twentieth-century artistic tropes.—
Simon Denny,
Artforum,
20 Apr. 2026
-
And, as the idiom goes, steel sharpens steel.—
Kyle Eustice,
SPIN,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expression. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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