1
as in vocal
expressed or communicated by voice
a baby's crying is usually interpreted as an oral expression of distress
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in verbal
made or carried on through speaking rather than in writing
lawyers for the plaintiff will be presenting oral arguments before the Supreme Court next week
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oral
The drug, an oral medicine called SNV4818, is currently in a Phase 1/2 study in HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer.
—
Andrew Joseph, STAT, 20 Mar. 2026
Part of that is visual and oral.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Even the current first-line oral treatment, fexinidazole, must be taken for 10 days and comes with severe side effects such as nausea, vomiting and heart-rhythm disturbances.
—Fran Kritz, NPR, 16 Mar. 2026
The judge heard about an hour of argument before issuing an oral ruling from the bench that was in line with three other orders she’s issued on motions to dismiss in the case.
—Michelle Casady, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oral
Andrew Joseph, STAT, 20 Mar. 2026
Part of that is visual and oral.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Even the current first-line oral treatment, fexinidazole, must be taken for 10 days and comes with severe side effects such as nausea, vomiting and heart-rhythm disturbances.
—Fran Kritz, NPR, 16 Mar. 2026
The judge heard about an hour of argument before issuing an oral ruling from the bench that was in line with three other orders she’s issued on motions to dismiss in the case.
—Michelle Casady, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oral
Adjective
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Hall has previously been a vocal critic of the celebration online, both before and after he was elected to the state education board in 2024.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
16 Mar. 2026
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Frye is a vocal proponent of leucovorin, and his research on the drug was cited by federal health officials in September.—
Michal Ruprecht,
NPR,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Traffic offenses accounted for two-thirds of tickets issued, and verbal assault and property theft were the most common forms of victimization.—
Katie Jackson,
Outside,
19 Mar. 2026
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The season expansion is one dimension of the verbal agreement between WNBA owners and players, solidified in the early hours of Wednesday morning after more than a week of nonstop negotiations.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Ethan began learning to express himself through a combination of short spoken phrases and pointing to icons on a tablet.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
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Spurgeon is soft-spoken, but also knows when the stick is needed as much as the carrot.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Sanders, who co-directed the original movie and voiced Stitch, reprised his voice-over role in the 2025 update.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
23 July 2025
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Several cast members returned, including co-writer and co-director Chris Sanders, who created and voiced Stitch.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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Grant attempted to leave the building, uttered threats and made physical contact with two officers, police said.—
Dennis Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oral. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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