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vent

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word vent distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of vent are air, broach, express, utter, and voice. While all these words mean "to make known what one thinks or feels," vent stresses a strong inner compulsion to express especially in words.

a tirade venting his frustration

When could air be used to replace vent?

Although the words air and vent have much in common, air implies an exposing or parading of one's views often in order to gain relief or sympathy or attention.

publicly airing their differences

When is it sensible to use broach instead of vent?

While the synonyms broach and vent are close in meaning, broach adds the implication of disclosing for the first time something long thought over or reserved for a suitable occasion.

broached the subject of a divorce

When would express be a good substitute for vent?

The words express and vent can be used in similar contexts, but express suggests an impulse to reveal in words, gestures, actions, or what one creates or produces.

expressed her feelings in music

Where would utter be a reasonable alternative to vent?

The meanings of utter and vent largely overlap; however, utter implies the use of the voice not necessarily in articulate speech.

utter a groan

When is voice a more appropriate choice than vent?

While in some cases nearly identical to vent, voice does not necessarily imply vocal utterance but does imply expression or formulation in words.

an editorial voicing their concerns

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 vent
Verb
Videos showed some fans trying to climb through air vents to gain entry. Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2025 The devices are small enough to fit on an air vent and would stop drivers from exceeding the speed limit. Terry Collins, USA Today, 12 June 2025
Noun
After Bolivia’s electoral tribunal disqualified former President Evo Morales, a leftist political titan who still wields influence in the country’s tropical heartland, from running in the August presidential election, his loyalists took to the streets this month to vent their outrage. Paola Flores, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025 The Conversation — Our brains swear for good reasons: to vent, cope, boost our grit and feel closer to those around us. CNN Money, 15 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for vent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vent
Verb
  • Fewer rules and pages translate to less red tape and less stifling of innovation, potentially unleashing fresh economic dynamism.
    Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • The 24-year-old can also unleash a bullet with her left foot, as demonstrated by her screamer against Wales in 2021, her first goal for France.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • The Ace of Wands invites you to embrace this fresh, creative energy and start to express your true self more.
    Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 July 2025
  • Nearly half of transgender boys and men express worry that accessing care would result in someone calling the police or being involuntarily hospitalized, according to The Trevor Project’s 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People.
    Rachel Hale, USA Today, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Dealing with rage wouldn’t seem the term most applicable to Estévez, who is as amiable and animated as anyone in the Royals’ clubhouse and radiates a room-energizing presence.
    Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 27 June 2025
  • The panoramic terrace creates visual continuity between interior and exterior, while the club’s signature infinity pool radiates notes of color and joy, like an echo to the location’s musical appeal.
    Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Noun
  • According to the outlet, the story follows Nick and Naomi, a couple who have fallen out of love and try to each convince the other to call off the wedding by means of sabotage and emotional manipulation.
    Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 1 July 2025
  • According to the outlet, the surfer had previously seen sharks at the beach and had even witnessed other people sustain shark bites.
    Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • For every container of fireworks arriving at a U.S. port, importers must pay the tariff upfront, before customs even thinks about releasing the goods.
    Richard Howells, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • Lyons was released from Tottenham’s youth system at age 16 and fell into depression before dying by suicide 10 years later.
    Colin Millar, New York Times, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • The veteran actor also appeared as Captain in X-Men: First Class (2011), voiced Ultra Magnus in various Transformers releases, and appeared on shows like The Alienist, This Is Us, and The Dropout.
    EW.com, EW.com, 29 June 2025
  • At lease five House Republicans also voiced their opposition to the plan, including Reps. David Valadao of California and Ryan Zinke of Montana, who served as the Interior secretary during Trump’s first term.
    Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
Verb
  • In sport, as in life, the idea of failure is often cast as a villain—something to be denied, delayed or danced around.
    Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 5 July 2025
  • Significantly more information is missed every day without a wider net for data being cast across South County communities.
    Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 July 2025
Verb
  • The result gives your look an effortless dose of cool when tucked into anything from black jeans to colorful wide-leg trousers.
    Clint Davis, People.com, 1 July 2025
  • Westerdam is comfortably sized, with 958 cabins, giving guests plenty to do without feeling overwhelmed.
    Susan B. Barnes, Travel + Leisure, 1 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vent. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

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