1
as in anger
an intense emotional state of displeasure with someone or something
vented her spleen and felt much better for having done so
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in malice
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm
the bill's failure to pass in the legislature was due to nothing more than partisan spleen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spleen
During orientation, new hires are lectured that Kino wants to protect users from harmful images; meanwhile, their boss, Josh (Jermaine Fowler), would cut out his own spleen on camera to keep people’s eyeballs on the app.
—
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Although their conditions seemed to be stable, in February 2025, a test for kidney stones revealed that Cori, now 40, had a precancerous growth on her pancreas, requiring her to undergo surgery to remove her spleen and part of her pancreas.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Mesopotamian patients were instructed to seek divine help specifically for complaints of the ear, spleen, and pancreas.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Certain medical conditions also increase risk, including immune system disorders, HIV infection and not having a functioning spleen.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spleen
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Although their conditions seemed to be stable, in February 2025, a test for kidney stones revealed that Cori, now 40, had a precancerous growth on her pancreas, requiring her to undergo surgery to remove her spleen and part of her pancreas.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Mesopotamian patients were instructed to seek divine help specifically for complaints of the ear, spleen, and pancreas.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Certain medical conditions also increase risk, including immune system disorders, HIV infection and not having a functioning spleen.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spleen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spleen
Noun
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But fights are just as integral to the Netflix show created by Lee Sung Jin, and the series’ sound team needed to do even more meticulous work building visceral senses of anger, stress, and dread that slowly swallow up the characters and steer them into making a compounding set of poor decisions.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
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As Columbia, Rodriguez takes big, bold swings, shifting from manic exuberance to bruised vulnerability to feral anger over the course of the night.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Actual malice is the legal standard by which courts determine if someone is liable for libel.—
Keely Bastow,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026
-
However, the evidence of actual malice does not approach the clear and convincing standard.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Rhys, long an expert at instilling indignation with soulful sentiment, gets pushed further here.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Racing’s indignation over that, as well as that of anger in the general public, prompted the formation by Congress of a bill that would ban the slaughter of horses in the United States.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The woman’s death was caused by blood clotting issues and snake venom, The Mendocino Voice reported.—
Don Sweeney
April 21,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The injured party should not apply a tourniquet, apply ice, try to suck out the venom or cut the wound, the agency warned.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The government of Armenia is trying to warm its formerly tense relationship with Israel in an effort to overhaul its foreign policy, but its overtures are being met with outrage from the public.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026
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But Bastian’s remarks about what happens next quickly sparked outrage across social media.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the centuries since colonists waged war against the crown, American’s attitudes toward the royals have shifted from hatred to adoration.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But the War on Terror persisted and mutated into nightmares in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then Syria, which unleashed that darkness in the form of terrorist states and a refugee crisis that spread anti-Muslim and anti-migrant hatred to Europe, the United States, and beyond.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Before his trial, Hitchcock pulled back his confession and said his brother, Richard Hitchcock — Cindy’s stepfather — killed the girl in a fit of rage after discovering James Hitchcock and the girl willingly in bed together.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
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Over 150 wildfires rage across Georgia and Florida as scientists point to drought, gusty winds, and dead trees from Hurricane Helene as key factors amplifying fire threat.—
Emilie Megnien,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Scored only by drum machine, a single synth, chimes, and tubular bells, the song’s straightforward tale sounds dramatically magnificent in spite of its spareness.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
26 Apr. 2026
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Coleman decided to blend Italian cooking with barbecue cooking by introducing BBQ spaghetti—in spite of her mother’s objections.—
Taylor Tobin,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spleen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spleen. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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