as in bitterness
biting sharpness of feeling or expression
the surprising mordancy with which the two physicians contested each other's claim to having discovered an effective vaccine for polio
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Recent Examples of mordancy
But Lloyd’s version brims with mordancy.
—
Sarah Weinman, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2023
The gray-tint, cross-hatched drawings evoke George Cruikshank and Samuel Palmer, but the mordancy is vintage Sendak.
—The Week Staff, The Week, 17 Oct. 2022
Sarah Weinman, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2023
The gray-tint, cross-hatched drawings evoke George Cruikshank and Samuel Palmer, but the mordancy is vintage Sendak.
—The Week Staff, The Week, 17 Oct. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mordancy
Noun
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Delicious and full of flavor, the roast contains brown sugar that balances out the bitterness of the beer, while vinegar adds a hint of brightness.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Additions like maple and honey round out the bitterness and tartness, creating balanced cocktails with depth and finesse.—
Essence,
Essence,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Charlie and Pim are loyal employees of Smiling Friends, a mysterious business that exists solely to assist people with their problems, regardless of their severity.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Prosecutors have recommended an 11-year sentence, citing Combs’s lack of remorse and the severity of harm inflicted.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The monthlong celebration comes at a crucial time, as transgender youths continue to face mounting legislative attacks and social hostility nationwide.—
Duante Beddingfield,
Freep.com,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Police officers eventually began to line tee boxes as the weekend progressed, though that also did not assuage the hostility.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The virulency of Covid-19 trained even those of us who shop locally out of principal to purchase online.—
Marc Peruzzi,
Outside Online,
2 Mar. 2021
Noun
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One Pasteurella-like microbe carried genetic hints of virulence and has ties to deadly outbreaks in modern African elephants.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
30 Sep. 2025
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While VUMs require more testing to establish their true risks to public health, VOIs are explicitly confirmed to have genetic changes that affect virus characteristics like transmissibility and virulence.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
9 June 2025
Noun
-
Your Digestive Health Improves Olive oil helps stimulate the digestive system by increasing bile production.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
23 Sep. 2025
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The use of turmeric is also not recommended for people with gallstones or blocked bile ducts.12 Drug Interactions Turmeric can affect the way some medications work.—
Emmanuella Ogbonna,
Health,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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More than avoiding malice, we are called to take responsibility for the impact of our words.—
Andrew Weinstein,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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Understand that controlling behaviors may stem from fear and insecurity rather than malice.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Verbatim Reginald Dwayne Betts A 2012 essay from the American Poetry Review on poetry and the architecture of anger.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Morocco Anti-government protests fueled by anger over Morocco pouring money into preparations for the 2030 World Cup instead of public services have raged in the country for nearly a week.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mordancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mordancy. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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