1
as in rhetoric
boastful speech or writing
his taking credit for the rescue was mostly hot air, since the boat was actually saved by the Coast Guard
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in wind
language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere
her campaign promise to "fight for the people" showed a taste for stale hot air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of hot air
The heat pump takes hot air from inside your home and moves it outside.
—
Alora Bopray, USA Today, 2 June 2026
The weather is being driven by a heat dome—a block of high pressure that traps hot air—hovering over Western Europe.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 29 May 2026
One recent Polymarket ad on Meta’s social media platforms shows an influencer hanging off a hot air balloon before letting go and plummeting.
—Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 28 May 2026
The team then hovered over the Great Migration in a hot air balloon experience and spent time with the local community of hunters, Hadzabe, before moving over to the forests of the Gombe Stream and the shores of Lake Tanganyika to meet chimpanzees.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hot air
Alora Bopray, USA Today, 2 June 2026
The weather is being driven by a heat dome—a block of high pressure that traps hot air—hovering over Western Europe.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 29 May 2026
One recent Polymarket ad on Meta’s social media platforms shows an influencer hanging off a hot air balloon before letting go and plummeting.
—Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 28 May 2026
The team then hovered over the Great Migration in a hot air balloon experience and spent time with the local community of hunters, Hadzabe, before moving over to the forests of the Gombe Stream and the shores of Lake Tanganyika to meet chimpanzees.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hot air
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hot air
Noun
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However, the website of the pro-cap campaign appears to draw on anti-Muslim rhetoric to make its case.—
Sebastian Shukla,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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And despite the Education Department’s rhetoric, borrowers are still getting their student loans discharged.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
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His early career was marked by the sort of gasconade many fans of the NFL had come to adore and many MLB executives and players had come to loathe.—
Robert Klemko,
The MMQB,
13 July 2017
Noun
-
But not even Footer’s thorough sleuthing has unearthed much more than Bradley’s brag.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
Humble brag; That turned out to be a stroke of genius on my part.—
Marc Silver,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But sidle up to the bar, eerily silent until the restaurant quickly fills with chatter, and order a stiff drink before settling into a table and digging into heaping plates of pasta, milanesa, and a Caesar salad that always hits the spot.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 June 2026
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The chatter of cosmopolitan élites is the most reviled of all discourses right now.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Hammy magniloquence risks alienating viewers, not just for an evening but for life, as does obscurity.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
15 Mar. 2018
Noun
-
Continue reading … POLITICS SIN CITY SHOWDOWN — Dem rep who went on expletive-laden anti-Trump rant wins primary.—
,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
-
His online rants were becoming increasingly extreme.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hot air.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hot%20air. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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