four-letter word

Definition of four-letter wordnext
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for four-letter word
Noun
  • Morgan and her Judgment Day cronies tried to bribe Danhausen to put curses on their opponents.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2026
  • The dust-ups might have driven the Honeywells away from their island paradise, more casualties of the lottery curse.
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 28 June 2026
Noun
  • The Jewish people’s movement for self-determination in their biblical homeland — called Zionism — has become a dirty word on college campuses and in liberal political parties, and increasingly in some conservative ones.
    Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
  • Today, unfortunately, civics has become a dirty word.
    KEN BURNS, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026
Noun
  • Eight groups challenged the department’s definition in court, representing nurse practitioners, therapists, speech language pathologists and more.
    Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
  • Keep language simple, confirm times, and leave extra room between commitments.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2026
Noun
  • The event finds more than 20,000 people participating in an annual bar crawl throughout the city while dressed in their best holiday attire, tackiest Santa Claus costumes, and ugliest Christmas swears.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Kennedy could be heard hurling swears at the Swedish team.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 23 Feb. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Four-letter word.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/four-letter%20word. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.

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