How to Use phrasing in a Sentence

phrasing

noun

• The phrasing of the instructions was confusing.
• And why the person who sent the email sent it and chose that phrasing.
  — Isaac Chotiner, Slate Magazine, 17 July 2017
• So, the poor phrasing gets Larson off on the wrong foot from the start.
  — Sophia Voight, Journal Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2024
• His voice was soft but even in his clipped phrasing, the grit of the episode seemed still fresh.
  — New York Times, 17 Nov. 2021
• Ted Kennedy read from the 1966 speech, adding his own phrasing in spots.
  — Katie Mettler, Washington Post, 8 June 2018
• The phrasing, the structure of it — people just take to it.
  — Hannah Steinkopf-Frank, RedEye Chicago, 26 June 2018
• One way to avoid the friend zone is to use active phrasing.
  — Mary Shores, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2021
• The phrasing comes to me in a way that feels familiar now, but the words cut all the same.
  — Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, 27 Jan. 2020
• Well, maybe like a few lyrics here or there, a few phrasings.
  — David Peisner, Billboard, 19 Sep. 2019
• There were so many times when his phrasing was wildly out of sync with the rest of the band.
  — Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 26 Aug. 2022
• Her phrasing was, for the most part, slurred, soothing and bland.
  — Corinna Da Fonseca-Wollheim, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2017
• The name got a mention in Season 4, Episode 1—but note the phrasing.
  — Joanna Robinson, HWD, 5 Jan. 2017
• The content of the album introduced the rest of the world to ZZ's way with phrasing.
  — Craig Hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, 22 Mar. 2018
• Much of the odd phrasing is the result of half-translations from French.
  — Valentina Pop, WSJ, 15 June 2018
• Even there, the phrasing of Kelly's question left a door open.
  — Callum Borchers, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2018
• Yes, there's his ability to adapt and absorb and the phrasing of songs.
  — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 May 2022
• Before that, asking more fluent friends to help get the phrasing and flow right was the norm.
  — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 21 Feb. 2023
• The Rascal Flatts worked with Renee and Mac on their phrasing.
  — Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2017
• The guitar solo was trance-y, and Reed’s phrasing was so New York.
  — WSJ, 13 Mar. 2018
• This phrasing might seem harsh, but it is not used lightly.
  — Jeffrey S. Trimbath, Baltimore Sun, 11 Mar. 2024
• The new phrasing would be fine with Avianna if her sister left it at that.
  — New York Times, 28 Sep. 2021
• This is, in the unfortunate phrasing, a hill to die on.
  — Robin Abrahams, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2018
• Don Felder, who joined the band in 1974, came up with the song’s melody and distinctive guitar phrasing.
  — Dallas News, 25 Feb. 2020
• But the overall depth in Armstrong’s phrasing still carried the day.
  — Tim Smith, baltimoresun.com, 23 May 2018
• The phrasing made some fans wonder if Mary had more than two babies.
  — Hannah Orenstein, Seventeen, 28 June 2017
• But the concision of Swift’s songcraft and the nuances of her phrasing should keep the listener tuned in.
  — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2022
• The phrasing in the piece suggests a lack of agency on his part, which wasn’t my intention.
  — Joshua Hammer, The New York Review of Books, 10 Feb. 2022
• Once again, John manages to amplify the raw emotion of the lyrics with his melody and phrasing.
  — Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 11 Nov. 2022
• The phrasing, the details, the vocal delivery, the ambiance of the room, the light, your drive over — all that adds up to an experience.
  — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 25 Oct. 2024
• Reading it aloud can help highlight any awkward phrasing or areas that lack impact.
  — Andrew Fennell, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024

Last Updated: 23 Jan 2025