Definition of paraphrasenext
as in translation
an instance of expressing something in different words your essays on human rights should have some original thought and not be simply a paraphrase of what's in the textbook

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paraphrase

2 of 2

verb

as in to translate
to express something (as a text or statement) in different words could you paraphrase your diagnosis of my medical condition, using simpler language?

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of paraphrase
Noun
Like Irving, Poe had read Biddle’s paraphrase closely. — Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026 Some of the suspects try to minimize their actions with euphemisms or paraphrases; others do so with explanations that the prosecutors find utterly implausible. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
To paraphrase Tolstoy, all slop is alike, but every piece of trash is trashy in its own oddball way. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 Text that has been heavily rewritten, paraphrased, translated, or mixed with other writing may lose enough of Claude's statistical pattern to become undetectable. — New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for paraphrase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paraphrase
Noun
  • The rest is active translation, trust-building and continuous alignment.
    — Maayan Aviv, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • His translations have appeared in Words Without Borders, Asymptote, Plume and elsewhere.
    — Alicja Turczyk, The Dial, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The predominant suites—all of which have generous outdoor space—are spread across four buildings whose Indonesian names translate to mountain, hill, plateau and valley.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The resulting study, published in The Lancet in 2010, was among the first attempts to interpret the complete genome, and the first to translate that analysis into personalized medical recommendations.
    — Euan Ashley, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • But Fehlbaum warns writers and directors of the dangers of rushing to technology, especially AI, to take on the task of translating.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026
  • With a title translating as The Fables Newspaper, the show took place in a forest filled with anthropomorphic animals where the main character, an owl named Meneer de Uil read headlines from a daily paper.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Account managers have seen their preparatory work shrink—AI can assemble meeting notes, summarize calls, draft follow-ups and flag patterns across client communication.
    — Victor Karpenko, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The police department will summarize findings for the council and make a recommendation on what to do next.
    — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 29 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Paraphrase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paraphrase. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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