as in mode
a distinctive way of putting ideas into words
in the poet's somewhat affected locution, word order is often reversed and so we have "the sea serene"
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Recent Examples of locution
Confucius says—an old-fashioned locution, perhaps, but appropriate here—never to take interest in feats of strength.
—
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
That archly strangled locution, the ceaseless scorn: the vendor’s voice nags at the former Dean Street boy.
—Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 27 Sep. 2023
That mysterious locution and the lack of additional details raised the possibility that something more than the sniffles might be ailing the Boss.
—Stuart Munro, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Aug. 2023
In diplomatic memorandums, officials avoided the term military base; the preferred locution was joint communications facility.
—Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 15 June 2022
With its mess of divergent voices, picture-poems, and eccentric locutions, the result is baffling, beautiful, and always fascinatingly Notley.
—David Wallace, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2020
President Lyndon Baines Johnson was a retro Texan by birth and locution.
—Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, 2 Oct. 2019
Consider common appeals to allyship and altruism; such locutions convey a sort of optional quality, a moralistic tone, and unreliable trendiness.
—Astra Taylor, The New Republic, 26 Aug. 2019
On this night, Dylan made every word count, and sang with a blues master’s locution.
—Greg Kot, chicagotribune.com, 31 Oct. 2019
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
That archly strangled locution, the ceaseless scorn: the vendor’s voice nags at the former Dean Street boy.
—Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 27 Sep. 2023
That mysterious locution and the lack of additional details raised the possibility that something more than the sniffles might be ailing the Boss.
—Stuart Munro, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Aug. 2023
In diplomatic memorandums, officials avoided the term military base; the preferred locution was joint communications facility.
—Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 15 June 2022
With its mess of divergent voices, picture-poems, and eccentric locutions, the result is baffling, beautiful, and always fascinatingly Notley.
—David Wallace, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2020
President Lyndon Baines Johnson was a retro Texan by birth and locution.
—Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, 2 Oct. 2019
Consider common appeals to allyship and altruism; such locutions convey a sort of optional quality, a moralistic tone, and unreliable trendiness.
—Astra Taylor, The New Republic, 26 Aug. 2019
On this night, Dylan made every word count, and sang with a blues master’s locution.
—Greg Kot, chicagotribune.com, 31 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for locution
Noun
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Real coaches have their own tendencies and skills that show up in Dynasty mode.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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When things move fast, when expectations are unclear or when there’s a fear of looking bad, people naturally go into self-protective mode.—
Saby Waraich,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Noun
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An etiquette expert and the author of a new book about manners is causing plenty of online chatter about the proper way to eat a banana and other common handheld foods.—
Peter Burke,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2025
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Investigators have not yet publicly released a positive identification or details regarding the cause or manner of death.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025
Noun
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The color is easy to accessorize, works with any design style, and layers beautifully with neutrals and other colors.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 June 2025
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Our team of animators also had to be trained to make realistic drawings of the human body, as most of them came from animations with a cartoonish style.—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
7 June 2025
Noun
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Spring Cascade channels the romantic gardens of Provence with soft pink, purple, and green tones that feel grounded in nature but delicately styled.—
Jordi Lippe-McGraw,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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But the tone and the mood of the room and the lighting is very strong and dramatic.—
Bill Desowitz,
IndieWire,
29 May 2025
Noun
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But wise, connected AI development and use can serve as a vein of gold through the detritus of disruption and destruction of coming years, manifesting the priceless role of humanity in the evolution of consciousness.—
Ginny Whitelaw,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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Set on the fictional New England island of New Penzance in the 1960s, Sam (Jared Gilman), an emotionally disturbed orphan, and Suzy (Kara Hayward), a sophisticated, yet troubled girl in the vein of Margot Tenenbaum, long to grow up and get away from the chaos that surrounds them.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Locution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/locution. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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