variants
also rhetoric
1
as in oratorical
marked by the use of impressive-sounding but mostly meaningless words and phrases
you can skip over the rhetorical passages and still get the gist of the essay
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in purple
full of fine words and fancy expressions
the new governor delivered a long rhetorical speech about our state's bright future but laid out no specific programs for ensuring it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in verbal
of or relating to words or language
the next war that those two nations fight won't be rhetorical—it will be with bombs and bullets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rhetorical
With examples drawn from Scripture and across the length of history, Paine commits rhetorical regicide.
—
Matthew Redmond
august 13, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Or, with enough rhetorical swagger, a charismatic pro-immigration politician could provide them with facts that would convince them to support immigration policies whose benefits outweigh the costs to society.
—Alexander Kustov, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2025
That promise wasn’t just rhetoric.
—Amy Harclerode, New York Daily News, 8 Aug. 2025
Today, the Trump Administration is using similar rhetorical tropes to defend its aggressive deportation efforts.
—Time, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rhetorical
Matthew Redmond
august 13, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Or, with enough rhetorical swagger, a charismatic pro-immigration politician could provide them with facts that would convince them to support immigration policies whose benefits outweigh the costs to society.
—Alexander Kustov, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2025
That promise wasn’t just rhetoric.
—Amy Harclerode, New York Daily News, 8 Aug. 2025
Today, the Trump Administration is using similar rhetorical tropes to defend its aggressive deportation efforts.
—Time, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rhetorical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rhetorical
Adjective
-
The Dallas area was a hotbed of competitive debate, and, at first, the oratorical polish of Kuang’s teammates was intimidating.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Chicago-based like the Jacksons — the play originated at the Steppenwolf Theater Company in that city — they, too, are headed by an oratorical pastor who, in his youth, worked closely with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—
Jesse Green,
New York Times,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
But this native holly shrub turns purple to yellow in the fall, revealing bright red berries that hold on through the winter.—
Chris McKeown,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Bresnahan, from a purple district in Pennsylvania, is one of the members who had previously introduced a stock measure.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
First-term presidential adviser Steve Bannon said Bessent and Elon Musk had a verbal confrontation that turned into a scuffle earlier this year.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
8 Sep. 2025
-
A day after Tart, 28, decided to hit Kelce, 35, in his facemask during the Chargers' 27-21 win, Tart took a verbal jab at the tight end on Instagram.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The sprawling roughly 2,000-year-old property includes ancient Roman archaeological sites, farmlands, pontifical villas and lush papal gardens, with areas for organic farming and regenerative cultivation.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Related Articles For the past 40-plus years in the Philippines, Natori’s mother Angelita Cruz has been very close to the nuncios (who act as pontifical ambassadors), the designer said.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
The presentation explores the political, religious, linguistic, and artistic self-determination of Native peoples across the United States who are still thriving despite America’s historic agenda to erase Indigenous identity, culture, and language.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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This has been robustly demonstrated across linguistic and cultural groups.—
Howard Steele,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
For private individuals, the inflated costs are inconvenient but bearable.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The result is a toxic mix of inflated expectations, disillusioned boards, and wasted budgets that lead to the 95% figure above.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For Macdonald, this most eloquent of memoirs emerged from the death of her father, photographer Alisdair MacDonald, aka Ali Mac.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
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This article also delved into networked projects, such as Andreas Raus’ eloquent and multifaceted Symphony for n Metronomes, released in partnership with Fakewhale Gallery, the platform’s equally dynamic curatorial branch.—
Ana María Caballero,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Nini makes no such communicative or deft movements.—
Tao Lin,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
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Human's closest living relatives, Chimpanzees, primarily learn their communicative patterns from their mothers and maternal relatives, according to a new study.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rhetorical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rhetorical. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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