as in manner
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
-
Consider the distinct strengths: Neural AI: Excels at pattern recognition and learning from vast unstructured datasets, often in a largely unsupervised manner, leading to emergent capabilities in language and reasoning.—
Anuradha Weeraman,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
This is someone who progresses the ball in a speedy but sensible manner.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
30 June 2025
Noun
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With four smart modes (cool, gentle, fast, and style) and magnetic attachments like a diffuser and concentrator, the Zuvi puts you in control.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
5 July 2025
-
Under stress, however, your body naturally shifts into the nervous system’s sympathetic or fight-or-flight mode, driving faster, shallower breaths from the upper chest.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
Swaggart’s strutting, sweaty, fire-and-brimstone style was a throwback to earlier eras of evangelism, a seeming rejection of the slicker, smiling approach popularized in the 1980s by fellow televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker and Jerry Falwell.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
1 July 2025
-
For a joyful expression of summer style, the market tote is my platonic ideal.—
Talia Abbas,
Vogue,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
First, the Pigment Processor Daily Brightening Serum ($115) targets dark spots and uneven skin tone with ingredients like kojic acid, known for its fast-acting brightening properties, but noticeable does make skin more sensitive to the sun.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Blanchett wore a silk suit from the Italian brand, featuring tones of blue and white in a Prince of Wales check print.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Locution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/locution. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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