as in gall
shameless boldness
she had the temerity to ask me if she could borrow some money even though she never repaid the last loan
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Recent Examples of temerity
That’s because every time a Chinese company has the temerity to succeed stateside, protectionist impulses within the political and administrative classes get to work on discrediting the company with charges of – yes – espionage.
—
John Tamny, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
In this case, a jealous pope (President Trump) delights in humiliating an upstart bishop (Gov. DeSantis) for having the temerity to challenge his supremacy as Autocrat In Chief.
—Ron Cunningham, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2025
And to think, Nuggets interim coach David Adelman had the temerity to take the Clippers to task before Thursday night’s game at the Intuit Dome.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2025
Malek has the temerity to play the character as a real nerd, which is to say someone who’s not immediately endearing.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for temerity
John Tamny, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
In this case, a jealous pope (President Trump) delights in humiliating an upstart bishop (Gov. DeSantis) for having the temerity to challenge his supremacy as Autocrat In Chief.
—Ron Cunningham, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2025
And to think, Nuggets interim coach David Adelman had the temerity to take the Clippers to task before Thursday night’s game at the Intuit Dome.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2025
Malek has the temerity to play the character as a real nerd, which is to say someone who’s not immediately endearing.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for temerity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temerity
Noun
-
Two interesting examples of insects that need goldenrods are the goldenrod gall fly and the goldenrod gall moth.—
Markis Hill,
Kansas City Star,
16 Sep. 2025
-
This crisis has shown us which world leaders will not only consent to this genocide, but brutally discipline their populations for having the gall to question it.—
Jack Sheehan
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The retina is a layer of tissue at the back of the eyeball that converts images into nerve signals that are sent to the brain, and the peripheral retina is the outer portion, which gives us side vision.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Far fewer have the nerve to suggest that, as a beleaguered antifascist remnant stares down a white-supremacist police state, a biracial child will lead them.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
One early reviewer panned my forthcoming novel, Hot Wax, for having the audacity to put music in print at all.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Here, Coppola had the audacity to wager his own capital to make a statement, assemble an old-fashioned theatrical company and invite other creatives to contribute their ideas, all to produce an original film at a time when Hollywood seems highly averse to anything but sequels and superhero movies.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Blenkin told Variety in September 2025 that his character's laughter comes from arrogance.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Nishijima brings his characteristic intensity to Kenji, a man whose academic arrogance masks deep insecurity and desperation.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Temerity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temerity. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.
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