Definition of expressionnext
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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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

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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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of expression McNeil has made a career out of reliving the gritty tales of debauchery and explosive expression that gave rise to the Ramones and CBGB’s and shocking tales of New York in the 1970s. Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026 While previous expressions in this series have explored a single variable at a time–first agave cultivation methods, then terroir–this release takes a broader view of the entire craft. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2026 In your 1st House of Identity, loving Venus in your sign squares powerful Pluto in your 4th House of Home, so expression bumps into family needs. Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026 The statement was produced by the University of Chicago more than a decade ago to protect the free expression rights of students and faculty when teaching, researching, learning and protesting. Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for expression
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expression
Noun
  • Your voice absolutely matters, even if your workplace doesn’t hear it right away.
    Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Brian VanDoeselaar received a call to confirm the instructions, and the voice on the phone sounded just like their loan officer.
    Emily Elconin for CNN, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Sometimes the system simply needs a second architectural look.
    Nitin Gupta, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Pair with the coordinating tapered trousers for a complete look.
    Madeline Fass, Vogue, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Roja London, which was founded in 2011, said the sale will unlock support and resources to accelerate growth.
    Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The deal would include a 15-year prison term, suspended after service 7½ years, and five years of probation.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Song lyrics, phrases, and stray words bob in and out like visitors stopping by for a last laugh or scare.
    Emma Alpern, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The lyrics coalesced slowly, with McCartney filling the incomplete sections with nonsense phrases.
    Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The relationship between estrogen and cognition is also influenced by factors including age, timing of treatment, hormone formulation and route of administration, Schulman says.
    Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 16 Sep. 2026
  • And the makeup category showed up and out in a big way with amazing formulations that resulted in 26 must-have picks.
    Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • His punchy, slightly cornball charm, combined with a winning smile that neatly masked his Nixonian ambition, cemented Mulroney’s status as a modern Canadian politician, someone willing to lead the nation through the 1980s into an uncertain future.
    Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Watching on, with his trademark smile, was the genteel manager of the team, Eusebio Unzué.
    Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Apparently the trick is to react more to the tone and tempo of the voice, rather than necessarily the precise words.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The same poll found belief that data centers raise electricity bills jumped from 43% in January to nearly 60% by July—six months before Apollo or Morgan Stanley published a word of this research.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Cinema is, after all, a language, and Belgian filmmakers come from a country built on the need to understand language as a bridge—between its regions, its people, and its idioms.
    Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The multigenerational family epic is one of my favorite kinds of novels, and Min Jin Lee is a master of that idiom.
    Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Expression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expression. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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