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
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Recent Examples of phrases
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Britain's prime minister warned Saturday that tougher action was needed against people chanting certain phrases at pro-Palestinian protests, as concerns grew over the safety of British Jews after the stabbings of two Jewish men in London.
—CBS News, 2 May 2026
Clinton wrote to Congress using mostly the same words and phrases Trump did in his 2026 letter.
—Jasmine Farrier, The Conversation, 1 May 2026
Prior to that, translators used other English words and phrases.
—Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
These Yiddish phrases have gotten me through many challenging situations.
—Gilda Dangot-Simpkin, Sun Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
After the first season of Jersey Shore aired, the entire cast became cultural icons, adding phrases like GTL (gym, tan, laundry) to the cultural lexicon.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Its melody unfolds in legato phrases that drift across the bar line; its harmonic language leans toward George Gershwin’s chromaticism more than Hank Williams’s honky-tonk.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
After the initial flattery, the tone shifts to isolating phrases.
—Kathy and Ross Petrass, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
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
Extract phrases from calls, build frameworks from notes, convert DMs to posts.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
Vegas has swiftly made a reputation for having the best entertainment experience, in-arena atmosphere and other alliterative buzz phrases.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Britain's prime minister warned Saturday that tougher action was needed against people chanting certain phrases at pro-Palestinian protests, as concerns grew over the safety of British Jews after the stabbings of two Jewish men in London.
—CBS News, 2 May 2026
Clinton wrote to Congress using mostly the same words and phrases Trump did in his 2026 letter.
—Jasmine Farrier, The Conversation, 1 May 2026
Prior to that, translators used other English words and phrases.
—Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
These Yiddish phrases have gotten me through many challenging situations.
—Gilda Dangot-Simpkin, Sun Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
After the first season of Jersey Shore aired, the entire cast became cultural icons, adding phrases like GTL (gym, tan, laundry) to the cultural lexicon.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Its melody unfolds in legato phrases that drift across the bar line; its harmonic language leans toward George Gershwin’s chromaticism more than Hank Williams’s honky-tonk.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
After the initial flattery, the tone shifts to isolating phrases.
—Kathy and Ross Petrass, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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
Extract phrases from calls, build frameworks from notes, convert DMs to posts.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phrases
Noun
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If the assignment is to translate something from a foreign language, there are plenty of tools and resources that can do it for you, including by recognizing and figuratively translating idioms.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
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Those books introduced me to a vision of American teenage life and taught me the rhythms and idioms of American English, nuances that would later replace my Britishisms and shape my career as a journalist.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There is a sign out there that says, ‘Keep an eye out,’ because there’s some messaging coming shortly.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Last year's picture day was different, however, as the mom of two says Emma was happy to pose for the photos.—
Georgia Slater,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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What the behavior expresses, Berg added, is a deeper desire to be seen.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Under the bill, minors could not create accounts without parental consent, and parents would gain sweeping control — including the ability to review chatbot conversations, limit usage times, and receive alerts if a child expresses intent to harm themselves or others.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phrases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phrases. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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