as in rhetoric
full of fine words and fancy expressions
an overwritten novel with far too many purple patches
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Recent Examples of purple
Even better was the purple plum sauce that can be ordered as a side, puckery and sweet, bright and strange.
—
Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
Other healthy options include rutabagas, turnips, purple sweet potatoes and yams.
—Dr. Steven Gundry, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025
Popular stops include Bixby Creek Bridge, Pfeiffer Beach (with its purple sand), and McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.
—Amplified Content Studio, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2025
The four colors are pink, purple, light blue, and light green.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purple
Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
Other healthy options include rutabagas, turnips, purple sweet potatoes and yams.
—Dr. Steven Gundry, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025
Popular stops include Bixby Creek Bridge, Pfeiffer Beach (with its purple sand), and McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.
—Amplified Content Studio, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2025
The four colors are pink, purple, light blue, and light green.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purple
Adjective
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But the bills have changed the rhetorical landscape.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
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The Biden administration had largely kept Trump-era tariffs in place, albeit with fewer rhetorical fireworks.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Upon its arrival at your table, a server will present for inspection an ornate silver dagger, pull it with a flourish from its curved sheath, and proceed to saw off the head of the Mother at approximately her Tropic of Cancer.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2025
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Its once-rich timber and cotton shipping industries gave the town a big boom during the mid 19th century, and the resulting ornate Victorian homes and grand architecture are stunning vestiges of that time.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purple. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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