as in rhetorical
full of fine words and fancy expressions
an overwritten novel with far too many purple patches
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of purple
But, a few hours into the dive, screens in the control room suddenly lit up with red, orange, yellow, and purple life forms.
—
Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
The vibrant tuber with a nutty or vanilla-like taste might be a hip new ingredient, but its purple reign is causing problems in the Philippines.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
Creeping Phlox Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera) is a low-maintenance, flowering ground cover that blankets gardens in a thick mat of pink, purple, or white blooms.
—Nishaa Sharma, The Spruce, 4 Apr. 2026
This native plant produces beautiful purple, daisy-like flowers that are a mid-summer nectar source for pollinators.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purple
Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
The vibrant tuber with a nutty or vanilla-like taste might be a hip new ingredient, but its purple reign is causing problems in the Philippines.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
Creeping Phlox Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera) is a low-maintenance, flowering ground cover that blankets gardens in a thick mat of pink, purple, or white blooms.
—Nishaa Sharma, The Spruce, 4 Apr. 2026
This native plant produces beautiful purple, daisy-like flowers that are a mid-summer nectar source for pollinators.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purple
Adjective
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The proliferation of letters in the New Testament is also typical of second-century literary activity; letters written as rhetorical models, using the epistolary form as an intimate vehicle for argument, are everywhere in the later period.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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Its sustained support for armed proxy groups in the region — organizations that openly seek Israel’s destruction — demonstrates that this is not merely rhetorical.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The columns that will support the ballroom’s south colonnade have Corinthian capitals, the most ornate type of decorative top for a column.—
Kevin D. Murphy,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
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The handshake with Xi in the ornate East Hall at the Great Hall of the People, a space normally used for meeting foreign heads of state, underscored the reversal in political beliefs for Cheng.—
Janis Mackey Frayer,
NBC news,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purple. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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