as in rants
disapproving
to speak or express your opinion about something in a way that shows that you think you are always right
We had to listen to her pontificate about the best way to raise children.
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Recent Examples of pontificates
Indeed, the Abbé pontificates on pretty much every topic known to man as the pair try in vain to tunnel their way to freedom.
—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
That’s especially true for one of its two main narrators, Verity, an aging franchise movie star who acts, thinks, and pontificates like an adolescent.
—
Jasmine Vojdani,
Vulture,
10 Dec. 2025
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
That’s especially true for one of its two main narrators, Verity, an aging franchise movie star who acts, thinks, and pontificates like an adolescent.
—
Jasmine Vojdani,
Vulture,
10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pontificates
Verb
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And his ultimate war is with Bob, a tech CEO who rants about his haters and has gotten rich off rebranded snake oil and whose obvious corruption has been obscured by his self-mythologizing.
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One grumbles when the driver rants about development’s ravages.
Verb
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In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, the actress used the Solawave 4-in-1 Red Light Therapy Wand, which our writer raves about for its ability to heal blemishes and smooth wrinkles.
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Sure, every fashion expert and social media stan account raves about her unbeatable approach to method dressing with longtime stylist Law Roach, but not enough people seem to appreciate how wearable the 29-year-old superstar’s couture looks can be.
Verb
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Woody Harrelson declaims every line, upping the relentless factor of Phil’s mania.
Cite this Entry
“Pontificates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pontificates. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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