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

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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

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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 Brian sees Ellen from across the crowd, standing with Malcolm, and Murtagh can’t resist slipping a verbal dagger into his cousin’s ribs. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 26 Sep. 2025 On the night of the incident, Willingham got into a verbal altercation with her children's father, Theophilus Williams, on the phone when her mother tried to intervene, according to a motion for pretrial detention reviewed by PEOPLE. Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025 Rashada initially gave a verbal commitment to play for the Miami Hurricanes, but flipped to the Florida Gators. Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2025 His verbal clashes with the president this year didn’t end there. Anna Chan, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for verbal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for verbal
Adjective
  • By adding sixth grade, Cruz said the school was able to hire a part-time music teacher, who also can speak Spanish and integrate cultural and linguistic activities into music instruction.
    Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 29 Sep. 2025
  • This conversation concentrates on the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) as a Platonic model not only within the English language but in countless other linguistic ecosystems.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Joseph was originally charged with forcible oral copulation, false imprisonment, and assault.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Metsera, founded in 2022, brings a pipeline of both oral and injectable treatments with different targets.
    Annika Kim Constantino,Bertha Coombs, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Whitney Decker told the detective her ex-husband had always been communicative about their children and previously returned them when he was supposed to.
    Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Communicate And Collaborate On AI Usage Rules Be collaborative and communicative.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Trump’s broadside against the UN is the latest salvo in a broader rhetorical battle about the value of multilateral organizations like it compared with the bilateral partnerships and deals favored by the current US administration.
    Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Using his encyclopedic knowledge of House rules and his deft rhetorical skills, Adams could spin any floor debate into one about the issue of slavery.
    Time, Time, 24 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Verbal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/verbal. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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