as in metaphors
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 euphemisms
When Oklahoma missed out on the NCAA Tournament, AD Roger Denny announced that coach Porter Moser was staying and offered up one of the great euphemisms of this era.
—
Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026
Now there were no euphemisms for Germany’s leader.
—Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
Some of the suspects try to minimize their actions with euphemisms or paraphrases; others do so with explanations that the prosecutors find utterly implausible.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2026
In a year of cancellations and euphemisms, the city mounted a counterprogram that was quietly insurrectionary, stubbornly joyous.
—The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
And even ages 8 to 10 should be OK, depending on your thoughts about PG romantic intimacy and use of clever euphemisms.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Nov. 2025
Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026
Now there were no euphemisms for Germany’s leader.
—Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
Some of the suspects try to minimize their actions with euphemisms or paraphrases; others do so with explanations that the prosecutors find utterly implausible.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2026
In a year of cancellations and euphemisms, the city mounted a counterprogram that was quietly insurrectionary, stubbornly joyous.
—The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
And even ages 8 to 10 should be OK, depending on your thoughts about PG romantic intimacy and use of clever euphemisms.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for euphemisms
Noun
-
Threads become metaphors for relationships—fragile yet resilient, personal yet interconnected.—
Olga Garcia-Mayoral,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
His appetite for complexity was increasingly indulged as a means of branding cities and institutions, and his novel forms were deployed as blunt metaphors to absorb and obscure contradictions rather than negotiate them in material and spatial terms.—
Julian Rose,
Artforum,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Swift, who declined to comment, has among the most extensive trademark portfolios in the entertainment industry, with more than 170 active or pending registrations spanning names, phrases and commercial designations.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2026
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Ethan began learning to express himself through a combination of short spoken phrases and pointing to icons on a tablet.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Chief among terms to know and use are bonjour (hello) by day and bonsoir (good evening) at night.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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For African art biennials, the terms of engagement have fundamentally shifted.—
Smooth Nzewi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Euphemisms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/euphemisms. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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