as in pious
formal + disapproving
pretending to be morally better than other people
sanctimonious politicians A sanctimonious speech from someone who refused to acknowledge his own past failings.
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Recent Examples of sanctimonious
Just enough with the sanctimonious explanations.
—
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
The point here was clear for those who chose to listen: the President doesn’t care one bit about all those sanctimonious calls for healing.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2025
Of course, most of these sanctimonious snore-mongers linger on in one shrunken form or another, still screaming obscenities and shaking their fists at the moon.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 28 June 2025
The smug and sanctimonious tenor of their briefing makes that plain.
—Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sanctimonious
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
The point here was clear for those who chose to listen: the President doesn’t care one bit about all those sanctimonious calls for healing.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2025
Of course, most of these sanctimonious snore-mongers linger on in one shrunken form or another, still screaming obscenities and shaking their fists at the moon.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 28 June 2025
The smug and sanctimonious tenor of their briefing makes that plain.
—Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sanctimonious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctimonious
Adjective
-
The series follows young teens Agnes, dutiful and pious, and Daisy, a new arrival and convert from beyond Gilead’s borders.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
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Per the official logline, the series follows young teens Agnes, dutiful and pious, and Daisy, a new arrival and convert from beyond Gilead’s borders.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In erasing these concepts, or transforming them into meaningless slogans, the recent right-wing campaign of educational suppression seeks to eliminate an important means of understanding Black history.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Jan. 2026
-
His 2010 Cy Young victory despite a 13-12 record marked a turning point where win-loss record went from being the most important pitcher stat to one that’s borderline meaningless.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sanctimonious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctimonious. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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