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
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Learning basic phrases and customs can help travelers engage meaningfully and respectfully in Portugal.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2026
Words with letters dropped off the end or entire phrases strung together to form new words were seen as improper speech of the uneducated and poor.
—Moriah Humiston, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
Here is a beginner’s dictionary for 10 terms and phrases as synonymous with the Masters as pimento cheese and peach ice cream.
—Jack Leo, AJC.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Hello French has a free downloadable list of 30 essential phrases for travelers, ranging from Vous parlez anglais?
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
However, following the path of Artemis II may be confusing as the astronauts, mission control and others use confusing jargon and phrases.
—Bymary Kekatos, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Those phrases are consistent with his actions.
—Janay Reece, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
The comments section quickly became a communal storytelling space, with viewers swapping anecdotes about pets who seemed to recognize languages, accents, or phrases from earlier homes.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 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
If seed phrases for crypto wallets are exposed, attackers could drain funds permanently.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Learning basic phrases and customs can help travelers engage meaningfully and respectfully in Portugal.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2026
Words with letters dropped off the end or entire phrases strung together to form new words were seen as improper speech of the uneducated and poor.
—Moriah Humiston, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
Here is a beginner’s dictionary for 10 terms and phrases as synonymous with the Masters as pimento cheese and peach ice cream.
—Jack Leo, AJC.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Hello French has a free downloadable list of 30 essential phrases for travelers, ranging from Vous parlez anglais?
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
However, following the path of Artemis II may be confusing as the astronauts, mission control and others use confusing jargon and phrases.
—Bymary Kekatos, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Those phrases are consistent with his actions.
—Janay Reece, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
The comments section quickly became a communal storytelling space, with viewers swapping anecdotes about pets who seemed to recognize languages, accents, or phrases from earlier homes.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 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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Residents living outside of those eight Southeast Michigan counties will also see fuel savings, Whitmer says, because those counties are already allowed to sell cheaper fuel blends without a waiver.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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The goal, says co-founder Zach Lentsch, is to get those scorecards in the hands of every single resident hunter in the state.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Whale lusts after a hunky gardener (Brendan Fraser) and persuades him to pose for a few sketches; Julian, though bisexual, expresses no such interest in Lori, and any art-making turns out to be a gratifyingly mutual endeavor.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Andrew Harnik / Getty Images The president is fond of Bondi, and expresses personal affection for her in private conversations, multiple sources said earlier this week.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phrases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phrases. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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