as in idioms
a sequence of words having a specific meaning
kids drawing literal representations of the phrase "to rain cats and dogs"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in words
to convey in appropriate or telling terms
he had trouble thinking of how to phrase his question for the visiting dignitary
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of phrases
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Crypto Clipper monitors clipboard contents for patterns that are consistent with standardized 12- or 24-word seed phrases.
—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
18 June 2026
Premier pitching, sacrifice bunts, timely base running — phrases not regularly used to describe the 2026 Georgia Bulldogs.
—
Hunter Delauder,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
Use simple phrases, and let curiosity open helpful doors today.
—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
16 June 2026
Interrogative phrases appeared in 26% of episodes.
—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
There are five phrases that the most charismatic people use over and over again.
—
Vanessa Van Edwards,
CNBC,
14 June 2026
These phrases can help start or continue a conversation.
—
Beth Ann Mayer,
Parents,
12 June 2026
Producers like Shungu, QThree, Mike Shabb, and Elsesser himself let their legato phrases repeat ad infinitum, gently bobbing like a dinghy in agitated waters.
—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
10 June 2026
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Because Survivor 42 followed the same format with all the exact same twists from Survivor 41—Prisoner's Dilemma, goofy phrases, Hourglass twist, Shot in the Dark, Do or Die—along with many of the same challenges, the entire season often felt like a rerun.
—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
To this day, people come up to him and quote phrases his character used to utter.
—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
In essence, the Iowa and West Virginia sports cases ask the court to rule whether a transgender girl – a person assigned male at birth who has transitioned to align with their identity as a girl or woman, as the AP Stylebook phrases it – is a girl or a boy.
—
Morgan Marietta,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
But the First Amendment is more than a few eloquent phrases about free speech, and its principles are far from historical relics.
—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Crypto Clipper monitors clipboard contents for patterns that are consistent with standardized 12- or 24-word seed phrases.
—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
18 June 2026
Premier pitching, sacrifice bunts, timely base running — phrases not regularly used to describe the 2026 Georgia Bulldogs.
—
Hunter Delauder,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
Use simple phrases, and let curiosity open helpful doors today.
—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
16 June 2026
Interrogative phrases appeared in 26% of episodes.
—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
There are five phrases that the most charismatic people use over and over again.
—
Vanessa Van Edwards,
CNBC,
14 June 2026
These phrases can help start or continue a conversation.
—
Beth Ann Mayer,
Parents,
12 June 2026
Producers like Shungu, QThree, Mike Shabb, and Elsesser himself let their legato phrases repeat ad infinitum, gently bobbing like a dinghy in agitated waters.
—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
10 June 2026
Verb
Like many workplace phrases, its meaning depends on context, relationship and power.
—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Because Survivor 42 followed the same format with all the exact same twists from Survivor 41—Prisoner's Dilemma, goofy phrases, Hourglass twist, Shot in the Dark, Do or Die—along with many of the same challenges, the entire season often felt like a rerun.
—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
To this day, people come up to him and quote phrases his character used to utter.
—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
In essence, the Iowa and West Virginia sports cases ask the court to rule whether a transgender girl – a person assigned male at birth who has transitioned to align with their identity as a girl or woman, as the AP Stylebook phrases it – is a girl or a boy.
—
Morgan Marietta,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phrases
Noun
-
Language is often a reflection of the culture that shapes it, impacting tone, idioms, dialects and even silence across regions.
-
Probably because at the time many of the time signatures and chordal progressions that Miles used were over the head of a young guitar player still functioning in the blues and folk idioms.
Verb
-
The department says the project is two-months ahead of schedule with the goal of wrapping up most of the project by 2030.
-
The union behind the initiative — the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West — says the measure is critical for stemming the budgetary bleeding from recent federal cuts to healthcare.
Verb
-
Across all three versions, each execution expresses a different exterior character while remaining unified in its underlying construction.
-
Written in a style disarming and gently subversive, Slaughterhouse-Five expresses outrage at war that even now remains in opposition to conventional wisdom.
Cite this Entry
“Phrases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phrases. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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