pulpit

noun

Definition of pulpitnext
as in altar
a raised flat surface where a priest or minister stands when leading a worship service The pastor ascended the pulpit.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pulpit The church’s parklike campus took up an entire block on Fifth Avenue, and its high pulpit was occupied by Harry Emerson Fosdick, a bespectacled liberal Baptist minister. — Michael Luo, New Yorker, 14 June 2026 Candice and Timothy show Brittany how ‘church hurt’ stretches out from the pulpit and into cultural norms around gender, sexuality, acceptance. — Brittany Luse, NPR, 9 June 2026 Now, the Spurs are evolving as Wembanyama takes the pulpit. — Jared Weiss, New York Times, 5 June 2026 Over each of the 11 tracks, Coleman’s commanding vocals reverberate over crunchy guitars and woozy keys, drawing in listeners like a call to the pulpit. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for pulpit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulpit
  1. altar
  2. podium
Noun
  • Each space, from the mudroom to her study, is a winsome blend of style and function—neither principle sacrificed at the altar of the other.
    — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Liean was seen making her way to the altar through murky water in her white dress in a clip that’s since gone viral, Viral Press reported via the Associated Press.
    — Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of altar
Noun
  • Competitors had to lift them onto podiums at different heights in the quickest time possible.
    — Rob Tanner, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The points are represented by plastic eyeballs dropped into decorative glass urns on their player podiums, styled like museum exhibits — a fun bit of whimsy in the production design that unites the ideas of vision and museum art.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of podium

Browse Nearby Words

pulping
pulpit
pulpits
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Cite this Entry

“Pulpit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulpit. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pulpit

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pulpit

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