as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
clapped her hands over the toddler's ears so he wouldn't hear the four-letter word
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of four-letter word
Never one to censor herself, Madonna's latest fashion statement can be summarized with a four-letter word.
—
Glenn Garner, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2023
What’s a four-letter word for funny, sweet, silly, huggable, wonderful, and mine?
—Angela Belt, House Beautiful, 2 Mar. 2023
In an audio excerpt, an air traffic controller can be heard uttering a four-letter word.
—Livia Albeck-Ripka, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2023
Mater Dei Catholic tennis coach Jose Oropeza says there is a four-letter word that is unacceptable on his team.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for four-letter word
Glenn Garner, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2023
What’s a four-letter word for funny, sweet, silly, huggable, wonderful, and mine?
—Angela Belt, House Beautiful, 2 Mar. 2023
In an audio excerpt, an air traffic controller can be heard uttering a four-letter word.
—Livia Albeck-Ripka, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2023
Mater Dei Catholic tennis coach Jose Oropeza says there is a four-letter word that is unacceptable on his team.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for four-letter word
Recent Examples of Synonyms for four-letter word
Noun
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Whether that money becomes a blessing or a curse may depend less on the number of zeros than on the method of transfer.—
Christina Binkley,
Robb Report,
11 Oct. 2025
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The Cubs fell behind, three games to one, but then went into curse-buster mode … and won Game 5 (at Wrigley), Game 6 (in Cleveland) and Game 7 (in Cleveland).—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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At the Abundance movement’s largest-ever gathering, with its manifesto still on the best-seller lists, its biggest champions wrestled openly with its status as a dirty word in US politics.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Learn To Talk About Money Without Apologizing One of the biggest mistakes new professionals make is treating salary like a dirty word.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
27 July 2025
Noun
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The series has hit the Netflix Top 10 in all 93 countries that the company measures; Season 4 was the first-ever English-language series to cross 1 billion hours streamed on the platform, and continues to be the streamer’s third-most-popular English-language TV title.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
15 Oct. 2025
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Befitting of JJJJound’s minimalist, premium design language, each pair is light on flair, letting the Speedcat’s iconic silhouette and high-quality materials do the heavy lifting here.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Does Taylor Swift swear on 'The Life of a Showgirl'?—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Don’t pretend the cure for coarse speech is a swear jar.—
Eric Preven,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Four-letter word.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/four-letter%20word. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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