as in speaking
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as in communication
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in lecturing
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject
the fire chief often talks at school assemblies about fire safety
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in chatting
to engage in casual or rambling conversation
talked with our neighbor as we unloaded the groceries from the car
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in saying
to express (a thought or emotion) in words
you're talking nonsense: take a minute and think about what you are trying to say, and then start speaking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in informing
to give information (as to the authorities) about another's improper or unlawful activities
after being threatened, the eyewitness started talking at length about what he had seen in the alley
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in gossiping
to relate sometimes questionable or secret information of a personal nature
you're a fine one to talk about your sister's marital problems when you have had plenty of your own
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of talking
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 20 Feb. 2026
The duration of movies played in theaters, as well as the quantity, has emerged as a major talking points in the jockeying for Warner Bros.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026
With the exponential rise of deranged talking heads, private prisons, Amazon-like concentration camps, Cop City, local police trained by the Israeli Army, and AI technology to develop inconceivable weapons, the apocalypse does not appear far off.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Family ties, children's schools, business networks, cultural amenities, and sheer inertia often matter more than cable-news tax talking points.
—Christopher Marquis, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
My adult says that paying for parking might have reasonable talking points.
—Harvey Levine, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
The Athletic’s Chris Waugh breaks down the key talking points from Wednesday night’s game.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Much of the action is in the form of talking, which the incisively analytical images parse with the emotional precision of dramatic stagings, lending the talk a sort of emphatic onscreen incarnation.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
My decision to run is rooted in the belief that District 26C deserves a Superior Court Judge who is focused on the facts in the courtroom, not the talking points in a political campaign.
—Charlotte Observer, 16 Feb. 2026
Travis Loller, Arkansas Online, 16 Feb. 2026
As kids get older, this transparency can cross over into talking honestly about social situations, financial decisions, or household values and responsibilities.
—Dina Gachman, Parents, 16 Feb. 2026
Leaphorn and Chee head to the school to get some info, but her classmates aren't talking.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
Ahead of the series premiere, which is expected towards the end of 2026, FTD will be talking to buyers about presales during the London TV Screenings.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2026
Why aren’t schools talking more about these dangers?
—Liz Shulman, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Kato is talking with local schools about turning Mardi Gras bead-making into a community project.
—ABC News, 15 Feb. 2026
Tenants speaking to the town council Monday said JRK initially directed them to use their renter’s insurance to pay for alternate lodging; the company later agreed to pay those expenses after talking with town officials.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
Smith thinks taxpayers should spend more time talking to their tax preparers about next year’s taxes.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
And the medium, as you guys know, gives you an opportunity to really go deeper on issues and also to talk like an actual human being as opposed to a talking points machine.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 20 Feb. 2026
The duration of movies played in theaters, as well as the quantity, has emerged as a major talking points in the jockeying for Warner Bros.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026
With the exponential rise of deranged talking heads, private prisons, Amazon-like concentration camps, Cop City, local police trained by the Israeli Army, and AI technology to develop inconceivable weapons, the apocalypse does not appear far off.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Family ties, children's schools, business networks, cultural amenities, and sheer inertia often matter more than cable-news tax talking points.
—Christopher Marquis, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
My adult says that paying for parking might have reasonable talking points.
—Harvey Levine, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
The Athletic’s Chris Waugh breaks down the key talking points from Wednesday night’s game.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Much of the action is in the form of talking, which the incisively analytical images parse with the emotional precision of dramatic stagings, lending the talk a sort of emphatic onscreen incarnation.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
My decision to run is rooted in the belief that District 26C deserves a Superior Court Judge who is focused on the facts in the courtroom, not the talking points in a political campaign.
—Charlotte Observer, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
Kato is talking with local schools about turning Mardi Gras bead-making into a community project.
—Travis Loller, Arkansas Online, 16 Feb. 2026
As kids get older, this transparency can cross over into talking honestly about social situations, financial decisions, or household values and responsibilities.
—Dina Gachman, Parents, 16 Feb. 2026
Leaphorn and Chee head to the school to get some info, but her classmates aren't talking.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
Ahead of the series premiere, which is expected towards the end of 2026, FTD will be talking to buyers about presales during the London TV Screenings.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2026
Why aren’t schools talking more about these dangers?
—Liz Shulman, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Kato is talking with local schools about turning Mardi Gras bead-making into a community project.
—ABC News, 15 Feb. 2026
Tenants speaking to the town council Monday said JRK initially directed them to use their renter’s insurance to pay for alternate lodging; the company later agreed to pay those expenses after talking with town officials.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
Smith thinks taxpayers should spend more time talking to their tax preparers about next year’s taxes.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for talking
Adjective
-
Damon played one of Jack's former roommates in a non-speaking role.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Each is distinct and immersively imagined by author Woody Brown, himself a non-speaking person.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Katie da Cunha Lewin is a writer based in London, currently lecturing in 20th and 21st-century literature at Coventry University.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Sometimes the messages got feisty, with Epstein lecturing Karp over a fee.—
Tom Schoenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Aniston opened up about the relationship while chatting to Elle back in November.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
15 Feb. 2026
-
So far, he’s been spotted draped in a full-length, white fluffy coat and fire engine-red hat and gloves, watching the women’s downhill race, and casually chatting with onlookers at the curling mixed doubles, adorned in a zip-jacket emblazoned with Team USA players’ faces.—
Sheena McKenzie,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Department of Homeland Security is continuing to fight Vedam’s release, saying in a statement Monday that the vacation of his conviction will not deter its efforts.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Maybe Whitney Halberstram is a construction, just like his detractors have been saying all along.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
So this is about informing, educating, and activating people.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Success will be measured by how effective the office is in informing the public and policy leaders about the consequences of inaction on urgent priorities, from our schools to hospitals and the grid.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There were no street-style fits or social media postings, just vaping and gossiping and patiently waiting to be let in to dance.—
Leigh Nordstrom,
Footwear News,
15 Feb. 2026
-
They were seen by the clergy, for example, to be distracted by chocolate, drinking it and gossiping instead of paying attention to mass.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Yet the Mayor’s task seemed primarily to be a matter of remaining extremely visible and communicative, while committing no egregious public blunders, as members of the municipal workforce did their jobs.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Loconsole argues that the apes’ prior communicative training may have skewed their performance.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Reading a book — yes, a real book with pages, gotten from a library or a store, not a Kindle; conversing, face-to-face, with a friend; taking a walk in a park or in the country?—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Feb. 2026
-
All manner of inquiries might be required to tease out of the person what transpired while conversing with the AI.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
17 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Talking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talking. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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