1
as in lectures
a usually formal discourse delivered to an audience
the guest of honor gave a short speech in appreciation of the award
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in languages
the stock of words, pronunciation, and grammar used by a people as their basic means of communication
wanting to develop a writing system for his people, Sequoya created a system of 86 symbols representing all the syllables of Cherokee speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of speeches
After about 90 minutes of speeches outside City Hall, demonstrators marched through Center City, led by some of the city's largest labor unions.
—
Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 2 May 2026
In South Korea, thousands gathered near Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square for major labor rallies centered on collective bargaining and worker rights, but speeches also incorporated broader geopolitical messaging.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
The rally opened with a welcome from Prothro, followed by speeches from 10 speakers, three songs and a candle lighting, according to an event program.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
Wreaths and flowers were placed in honor and speeches and musical tributes were delivered.
—Heather McRea, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
The night started with bowling, heartfelt speeches from Pollack, and reunions between old and new friends alike, all underscored with a deep appreciation for the cause.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 1 May 2026
To the delight of those lawmakers and their families and friends watching, King Charles added his own flourishes, and most observers who hadn’t heard many of his speeches before were impressed by his combination of wisdom with wit.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
There are heroes in schools who don’t show up in assemblies, whose pictures don’t make it to the Wall of Fame in the front office, and they rarely get mentioned in speeches.
—Mark Glende, Twin Cities, 1 May 2026
Braves Hall of Famer and Snitker’s friend Terry Pendleton, former player Jeff Francoeur and Hall of Famer Chipper Jones gave speeches during the ceremony.
—Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 26 Apr. 2026
Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 2 May 2026
In South Korea, thousands gathered near Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square for major labor rallies centered on collective bargaining and worker rights, but speeches also incorporated broader geopolitical messaging.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
The rally opened with a welcome from Prothro, followed by speeches from 10 speakers, three songs and a candle lighting, according to an event program.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
Wreaths and flowers were placed in honor and speeches and musical tributes were delivered.
—Heather McRea, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
The night started with bowling, heartfelt speeches from Pollack, and reunions between old and new friends alike, all underscored with a deep appreciation for the cause.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 1 May 2026
To the delight of those lawmakers and their families and friends watching, King Charles added his own flourishes, and most observers who hadn’t heard many of his speeches before were impressed by his combination of wisdom with wit.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
There are heroes in schools who don’t show up in assemblies, whose pictures don’t make it to the Wall of Fame in the front office, and they rarely get mentioned in speeches.
—Mark Glende, Twin Cities, 1 May 2026
Braves Hall of Famer and Snitker’s friend Terry Pendleton, former player Jeff Francoeur and Hall of Famer Chipper Jones gave speeches during the ceremony.
—Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speeches
Noun
-
The Final Jeopardy question, which fell under the world languages category, asked for the alphabetically first and last of South Africa's 12 official languages.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
When there is no war on, the shelter functions as a community center, complete with a Filipino church, a refugee health clinic, and retailers catering to customers in more than a dozen languages.—
Theia Chatelle,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But data-sharing concerns prompted Zimbabwe to abandon talks this year over a similar deal to Ghana’s, and led a Kenyan court to suspend implementation of an agreement between Washington and Nairobi.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The mixed results came on a day of rising oil prices and elevated gas prices, amid reports that Iran war peace talks have reached an impasse.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
By the end of the learning unit, Burton said growth in the children could be seen as their vocabularies expanded to using words such as thermometer, blood pressure and punctured.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Shallow, misogynistic speech has seeped into the daily vocabularies of many, suggesting the toxic, anti-woman values that have long inspired such rhetoric are once again calcifying into a widespread and serious problem.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even when the Lord’s name was left out, Stanley speeches sounded like sermons.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Late in his life, Dollison delivered sermons for Church of Christ congregations in Rector, Greenway and Jonesboro, as well as in the Missouri communities of Leachville and Campbell.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Houseflies find sugar with their feet, which are 10 million times more sensitive than human tongues.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Composer Paul has concocted a pastiche of songs forever on the edge of our memories if not our tongues.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Before his assassination at age 39 on April 4, 1968, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate spent a decade giving fearless orations and profound insights that continue to inspire generations, all deserving attention and consideration.—
Lydia Price,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
-
His orations of statistics, stories, and argumentative persuasion at colleges were energetic, frictious, and necessary to unshackle us from grievance and tribalism.—
Alex Rosado,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
If the assignment is to translate something from a foreign language, there are plenty of tools and resources that can do it for you, including by recognizing and figuratively translating idioms.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Those books introduced me to a vision of American teenage life and taught me the rhythms and idioms of American English, nuances that would later replace my Britishisms and shape my career as a journalist.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Names, phone numbers and addresses create a powerful starting point for scams.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
-
The hackers primarily got video metadata, titles, and email addresses from Vimeo.—
Alan Henry,
PC Magazine,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speeches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speeches. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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