as in neutral
lacking in distinctive features or qualities
the novelist has repeatedly used bland, noncommittal words that lack emotional resonance
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of noncommittal
With the transfer portal about to open on Tuesday and Donovan still noncommittal, North Carolina decided not to wait and targeted and hired Malone — with Williams’ blessing — in the span of about 48 hours.
—
Brendan Marks, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Arthur Brooks, in particular, has made a career of elevating his noncommittal waffling into a warped kind of virtue.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Rubio was noncommittal, but said again that Iran's threats about controlling the Strait of Hormuz in perpetuity needed to be addressed.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Thune was previously noncommittal about using the process, given the complexity of ushering it across the floor, but Senate Republicans floated the option to Trump earlier this week to win his support for DHS funding.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for noncommittal
Brendan Marks, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Arthur Brooks, in particular, has made a career of elevating his noncommittal waffling into a warped kind of virtue.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Rubio was noncommittal, but said again that Iran's threats about controlling the Strait of Hormuz in perpetuity needed to be addressed.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Thune was previously noncommittal about using the process, given the complexity of ushering it across the floor, but Senate Republicans floated the option to Trump earlier this week to win his support for DHS funding.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for noncommittal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for noncommittal
Adjective
-
According to Newsweek, the overall score was composed of 80% from survey results, and 20% from social listening analysis, which analyzed media coverage and online discussion to assess whether public sentiment was positive, neutral or negative.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The battle was fought during the Napoleonic Wars, as Britain attacked Denmark to break a neutral alliance with other European powers that threatened British naval supremacy.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And given all of the drama leading into the event, pretty good marks and a relatively boring draft add up to a win.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
As an interactive greeter, Melody shows how smart AI can turn boring service kiosks into friendly, lifelike conversations.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
It was parked in front of a dispensary in a nondescript strip mall on Bruceville Road in Valley Hi.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Everything about the camp, with its beige corridors and scuffed canteen, is familiar and nondescript, said Alissa Wilkinson in The New York Times, but writer-director Charlie Polinger knows how to make the everyday ominous.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Nowadays, old-school residents bemoan the neighborhood’s evolution from grungy to grandiose; what was once a warren of hedonism has become a breeding ground for characterless watering holes whose lack of personality is bested only by the exorbitance of their beer prices.—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
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Dąbrowski is pictured taking a catnap in a sleeping bag in some characterless photo studio.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2019
Adjective
-
The rooms Dripping in neutral tones of gray, beige, and cream, the suites bring the outdoors inside.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The two-tone frame design—available in beige-olive and sky-gray pairings—offers a contemporary look for a bathroom.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Flimsy nozzles crack and leak, and heavy-duty nozzles get tiring to hold when your garden calls for more watering time than your hands can handle.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
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Swift herself talked about how tiring the tour was and what her plans for the future were last October on BBC Radio 1 with Greg James.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Noncommittal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/noncommittal. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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