1
as in linguistic
of or relating to words or language the child didn't yet have the verbal skills needed to tell the doctor about the pain he was experiencing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in oral
made or carried on through speaking rather than in writing a verbal agreement carries less force than a written contract

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 verbal The soon-to-be 79-year-old Trump nearly always reacts to counterarguments with insults, lawsuits and verbal attacks upon print and TV journalists. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2025 The shooting occurred after the resident, 79, got into a verbal and physical fight with the 29-year-old man, resulting in the resident firing his gun, according to an Elgin Police Department news release posted on Facebook. Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2025 Three of the most polarizing men in hockey were taking turns getting their verbal jabs in. Josh Yohe, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025 There is also truth behind Blues coach Jim Montgomery’s series of verbal daggers after Game 4. Murat Ates, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for verbal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for verbal
Adjective
  • Significantly, this executive order revokes a previous one, issued by President Bill Clinton, which mandated that the federal government offer linguistic access to people with limited English proficiency.
    Graciela Mochkofsky, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
  • Meso-Collaboration: AI can empower communities and organizations to collaborate more effectively across geographical and linguistic barriers, fostering diverse and innovative problem-solving.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Adjective
  • First Trump policy to hit the Supreme Court The appeal is the first from the Trump administration that the Supreme Court agreed to consider through oral arguments.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 15 May 2025
  • Tuesday's oral argument is set to provide the most high-profile hearing for the court in recent memory.
    Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • This open dialogue and communicative environment has had such a positive impact on Celebree’s results and has become my favorite way to kick off the week.
    Richard Huffman, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
  • The sophisticated parsing of law and finance, the hard-nosed practicality of retail politics, and the workaday lilt of person-in-the-street interviews converge on the soundtrack and are reflected in images that are modestly but candidly communicative—uninflected but humming with passion.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • During Trump's first term, Pirro called for the jailing of FBI and Justice Department staffers, spoke on stage at a Trump campaign event, and ran rhetorical interference for him during his impeachment trials.
    David Folkenflik, NPR, 10 May 2025
  • His electoral mandate was forged in backlash to the President’s economic aggression, rhetorical slights, and apparent disregard for Canadian sovereignty.
    Nik Popli, Time, 5 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Verbal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/verbal. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on verbal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!