1
as in nonemphatic
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2
as in low-pressure
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nonassertive
People who knew Zhang described him to police as a nonassertive man who avoided conflict and typically acquiesced to his wife.
—
Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2021
Those who saw an assertive ad chose to allocate $7 of the gift card to the brand on average, compared with $14 for those who saw a nonassertive ad.
—Alina Dizik, WSJ, 16 May 2017
Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2021
Those who saw an assertive ad chose to allocate $7 of the gift card to the brand on average, compared with $14 for those who saw a nonassertive ad.
—Alina Dizik, WSJ, 16 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonassertive
Adjective
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Running clubs and book clubs in particular have taken on a second life as low-pressure venues where strangers can meet, talk and assess chemistry without the artifice of a profile.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
5 May 2026
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But since that ridge shifted from Northern California in early April, the new pattern has invited multiple low-pressure disturbances into the region.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The former is quietly involving: unhurried, unemphatic, observant.—
Mark Feeney,
BostonGlobe.com,
4 Nov. 2021
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The beat is steady and usually unemphatic; the song circles through three chords again and again.—
Jon Pareles,
New York Times,
6 July 2018
Adjective
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This film, so seemingly unassertive, apparently rambling and plotless, has a devastating impact and aftershock.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
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Accommodating, which is unassertive and cooperative, prioritizes the needs and preferences of others over one’s own in order to maintain harmony.—
Ellen Choi,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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For anyone with even a mild rodent aversion, that can trigger shivers of disgust.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
8 May 2026
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The game stays mostly cloudy, but mild with temperatures gradually easing into the middle 60s by the late innings.—
Steven Sosna,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Years of static budgets, staffing turnover, a culture of industry deference and a sluggish response by federal regulators have left the agency unprepared to address a contamination crisis of this size and scope, said Demonbreun-Chapman and others.—
DYLAN JACKSON,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
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In its $224 billion loan book, Amex has plenty of exposure to small and medium-size businesses, and that sector has turned sluggish, owing to tariffs and inflation.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Several files included military videos from the last several years that showed small ambiguous dots moving above the landscapes of Iraq, Syria and the United Arab Emirates.—
Seung Min Kim,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
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Many trials occupy an ambiguous middle ground, generating useful data while simultaneously serving promotional objectives.—
Sukhun Kang,
The Conversation,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Tuesday evening’s event didn’t devolve into the chaos of a cacophonous debate last week but was far livelier than a relatively sleepy one last month.—
Ben Paviour
May 6,
Sacbee.com,
6 May 2026
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The president endorsed their challengers and his allies spent millions of dollars in what are normally sleepy state legislative races.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora Gomez earned an Emmy nomination for her role as Mabel, a guarded and sarcastic millennial who strikes up an unexpected friendship with Charles and Oliver.—
Olivia Singh,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Our spirits remain guarded, but high, for this one; the Venice Film Festival crowd seemed to eat it up.—
Randy Myers,
The Mercury News,
3 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Nonassertive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonassertive. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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