Definition of phrasenext
as in idiom
a sequence of words having a specific meaning kids drawing literal representations of the phrase "to rain cats and dogs"

Synonyms & Similar Words

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phrase

2 of 2

verb

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 phrase
Noun
The motivational phrase helped carry the British people through the adversity of World War II. — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026 Schwartz, the third head of the Axios trifecta and an unlikely near-20-year veteran of journalism, said the real breakthrough for him wasn’t the phrase itself but the guilt it’s designed to erase. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026
Verb
Hafley came up with his point guard comparison months ago after watching film of Sieler repeatedly setting up his teammates for sack or, phrased more appropriately, dishing out assists to his teammates. — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026 Disputes accumulate on talk pages over phrasing, sourcing, whether a subject belongs at all, with many never resolving. — Carson Griffith, New Yorker, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for phrase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phrase
Noun
  • The first Velvet Underground album, the mid-period Beatles, Kinks, and Creedence Clearwater Revival records, with enough time, seem almost like different components to the same idiom.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Cinema is, after all, a language, and Belgian filmmakers come from a country built on the need to understand language as a bridge—between its regions, its people, and its idioms.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • With all that said, there are still a lot of pleasures in this production that remain failsafe, even after the ride toward a way-too-inevitable outcome is firmly on its tracks.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
  • On the living-room table was a giant bowl filled with cigarette butts, which Beck said was for an art project.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The core collection of the Glenlivet consists of a few age-statement expressions (12, 14, and 15-year-old), as well as some NAS whiskies.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The Paris flagship is one of the first expressions of that more cohesive brand identity.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • People use it constantly, for meetings, drafts, code, decisions that used to take longer and even for figuring out how to word a response to a difficult colleague.
    — Adrian Carr, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • That being said, neither of their statements seemed as strongly worded as UEFA’s and focused on not being consulted rather than the substance of the proposal.
    — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 29 July 2026
Verb
  • The Republican president took to social media Sunday to express his displeasure with the decision.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
  • These developments follow Anthropic’s call to slow the pace of model development earlier this month — a proposal that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed support for.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Phrase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phrase. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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