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
Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 15 Feb. 2026
Not every company uses the same terminology, but these phrases generally describe how tax relief services are delivered and billed.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Distilling the essence of a 300-page book into a few pithy phrases is an invigorating activity for creative writing students of all ages.
—Jess Decourcy Hinds
february 13, Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Dictionary definitions of those phrases boil down to making tentative inquiries or trying something briefly without real commitment.
—Mark Woolsey, AJC.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Videos on Chinese social media show people adorning their homes with red posters carrying well-wishing phrases, known as fai chun or chunlian, in an annual festive ritual.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Here’s 5 boundary-setting phrases high performers use at work.
—Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Few phrases shut down a conversation faster.
—John Bowe, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026
More and more readers can see that mainstream outlets manufacture consent through the use of particular words, phrases, and tones—and the exclusion of vital information, as is shown by their failure to report Jeffrey Epstein’s role as a global power broker with close links to Israeli intelligence.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 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
Pinprick funk guitar trades phrases with synth lines that come down like sprinkles in a digital snow globe.
—Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 15 Feb. 2026
Not every company uses the same terminology, but these phrases generally describe how tax relief services are delivered and billed.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Distilling the essence of a 300-page book into a few pithy phrases is an invigorating activity for creative writing students of all ages.
—Jess Decourcy Hinds
february 13, Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Dictionary definitions of those phrases boil down to making tentative inquiries or trying something briefly without real commitment.
—Mark Woolsey, AJC.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Videos on Chinese social media show people adorning their homes with red posters carrying well-wishing phrases, known as fai chun or chunlian, in an annual festive ritual.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Here’s 5 boundary-setting phrases high performers use at work.
—Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Few phrases shut down a conversation faster.
—John Bowe, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026
More and more readers can see that mainstream outlets manufacture consent through the use of particular words, phrases, and tones—and the exclusion of vital information, as is shown by their failure to report Jeffrey Epstein’s role as a global power broker with close links to Israeli intelligence.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 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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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
-
Like fellow North Carolinians Wednesday and MJ Lenderman—local stars descended from the likes of Lucinda Williams and Drive-By Truckers—Dowdy carves complex new visions into the idioms of his upbringing.—
Jenn Pelly,
Time,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Trump says Herschel Walker is 'loyal' The crowd was filled with allies and friends of the president, including Herschel Walker, a former University of Georgia football star who ran for Congress in 2020.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Transfers have been cancelled if, as Foster says, a player’s character is judged not to be a good fit.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Drawing the audience in with just his pleading voice and vulnerable physicality, Duvall expresses a lifetime of regrets.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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Novels that seemingly share a repetitive style or subject can have a beating heart that expresses the writer’s most passionate concerns.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phrases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phrases. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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