as in metaphor
a mild or pleasant word group of words that is used instead of one that is unpleasant or offensive
using "eliminate" as a euphemism for "kill" She spoke in euphemisms when recounting the expletive-laden tirade.
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Recent Examples of euphemism
The media has deployed every euphemism imaginable to describe the former president’s public usage of bad words like ****, **** and ****.
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Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024
But the rest has been, in the British political euphemism of the moment, missteps.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2024
This kind of shifting of meaning was called the euphemism cycle by linguist Sharon Henderson Taylor in 1974, and later renamed the euphemism treadmill by psycholinguist Stephen Pinker in 1994.
—Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
But perhaps above all, the reforms were designed to give the government unfettered power to extend sovereignty—a euphemism for annexation—over the West Bank, a longtime goal of Israel’s far right.
—Dahlia Scheindlin, Foreign Affairs, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for euphemism 
Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024
But the rest has been, in the British political euphemism of the moment, missteps.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2024
This kind of shifting of meaning was called the euphemism cycle by linguist Sharon Henderson Taylor in 1974, and later renamed the euphemism treadmill by psycholinguist Stephen Pinker in 1994.
—Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
But perhaps above all, the reforms were designed to give the government unfettered power to extend sovereignty—a euphemism for annexation—over the West Bank, a longtime goal of Israel’s far right.
—Dahlia Scheindlin, Foreign Affairs, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for euphemism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for euphemism
Noun
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The exhibition’s title Sailing to Byzantium comes from a 1927 poem by William Butler Yeats, where the poet uses a sea voyage to Byzantium as a metaphor for a spiritual journey.Lee Sharrock, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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Jim used the software provider as a metaphor for this market.Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Point out any generic phrases, weak transitions, or sections that need more punch.Jodie Cook, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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Confronted with a forgotten or unknown word, humans will remix phrases to get a point across.Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The move to trade for Adams in October hasn’t worked out in terms of wins, but he’s become an integral piece of an offense that’s gotten much better.Zack Rosenblatt, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
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Adams is expected to run for a second four year term in Gracie Mansion next year.Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The versatile, always-all-in Mars is a worthy lodestar for Rosé and Rosie, an album that whirls through 21st-century pop idioms with aplomb even as its heroine ruminates on heartache and anxiety.Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 6 Dec. 2024
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Perhaps that’s why his debut album as Chanel Beads is filled with self-help idioms and reflections on internal conflicts.Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 3 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near euphemism
Cite this Entry
“Euphemism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/euphemism. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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