as in languages
the stock of words, pronunciation, and grammar used by a people as their basic means of communication
he spoke in a tongue that I didn't understand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tongues
Each pair features a mesh base supported by suede structural overlays, nylon tongues and the Gator Run’s signature toothy outsole.
—
Riley Jones, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
It must be said that my writing voice in English sometimes feels stiffer nowadays, less blithely sure of itself, always fighting to keep my tongues from getting twisted.
—Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
Her epic Valentine’s Day rant had tongues wagging for weeks.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 9 May 2026
The dragons stalk the island, flicking their huge tongues in hopes of picking up the scent of a deer, wild boar, or water buffalo — the latter two species introduced by humans — or rodents and other smaller reptiles, including baby Komodo dragons.
—Craig Stanford, Big Think, 7 May 2026
Both are too smart for their own good and have recently developed rebellious streaks and sharp tongues to the alarm of their parents.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 May 2026
Off the field, the players live together, sing songs in their native tongues and cover their bodies in war paint to keep traditions alive.
—ABC News, 2 May 2026
Houseflies find sugar with their feet, which are 10 million times more sensitive than human tongues.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Like the tongues of a multi-headed snake, the Trail of Tears hissed through Chattanooga, Northern Alabama, Western North Carolina, Middle Tennessee and up through Southern Illinois, down through Missouri, across Arkansas before stopping in what is now Eastern Oklahoma.
—Keith Sharon, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
Riley Jones, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
It must be said that my writing voice in English sometimes feels stiffer nowadays, less blithely sure of itself, always fighting to keep my tongues from getting twisted.
—Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
Her epic Valentine’s Day rant had tongues wagging for weeks.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 9 May 2026
The dragons stalk the island, flicking their huge tongues in hopes of picking up the scent of a deer, wild boar, or water buffalo — the latter two species introduced by humans — or rodents and other smaller reptiles, including baby Komodo dragons.
—Craig Stanford, Big Think, 7 May 2026
Both are too smart for their own good and have recently developed rebellious streaks and sharp tongues to the alarm of their parents.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 May 2026
Off the field, the players live together, sing songs in their native tongues and cover their bodies in war paint to keep traditions alive.
—ABC News, 2 May 2026
Houseflies find sugar with their feet, which are 10 million times more sensitive than human tongues.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Like the tongues of a multi-headed snake, the Trail of Tears hissed through Chattanooga, Northern Alabama, Western North Carolina, Middle Tennessee and up through Southern Illinois, down through Missouri, across Arkansas before stopping in what is now Eastern Oklahoma.
—Keith Sharon, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tongues
Noun
-
On the international front, Buen Camino was sold to Netflix which released it on April 29 in 226 countries, dubbing it into more than 14 languages.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
-
The two came up with a bold redesign — bright colors to attract motorists and greetings in four languages to honor the surrounding Navajo, Zuni, Acoma and Laguna communities.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 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
-
The small cadre of community radio stations in coastal Bangladesh, using local dialects, provide an early-warning system against tsunamis, flooding, and cyclones.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The British colonial name of New Cut was different from other nearby creeks—Wadmalaw, Bohicket, Leadenwah, Stono—all named in Indigenous dialects.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Tongues.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tongues. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
