1
as in wind
language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere
the mayor's promise to fight drugs was just rhetoric, since there was no money in the city budget for a drug program
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in poetry
the art or power of speaking or writing in a forceful and convincing way
great leaders have often been masters of rhetoric, which they have used for both good and ill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rhetoric
But West, who is now officially known as Ye, took his rhetoric to new heights this week.
—
David Oliver, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2025
Abolitionists pointed to Jefferson’s rhetoric about the equality of men and his desire to see slavery eventually fade away.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 12 Feb. 2025
Asked on This Week with George Stephanopoulos about John Fetterman’s advice that Democrats calm down a little rather than elevate every Trump controversy to a matter of existential urgency, the Connecticut senator replied with a flurry of apocalyptic rhetoric about Elon Musk and all his works.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 11 Feb. 2025
Prosecutors, police, and sheriffs across California must not be intimidated by Trump’s threats or get distracted by the outrageous and inhumane rhetoric coming from Washington, DC.
—Cristine Soto Deberry, Orange County Register, 11 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for rhetoric 
David Oliver, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2025
Abolitionists pointed to Jefferson’s rhetoric about the equality of men and his desire to see slavery eventually fade away.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 12 Feb. 2025
Asked on This Week with George Stephanopoulos about John Fetterman’s advice that Democrats calm down a little rather than elevate every Trump controversy to a matter of existential urgency, the Connecticut senator replied with a flurry of apocalyptic rhetoric about Elon Musk and all his works.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 11 Feb. 2025
Prosecutors, police, and sheriffs across California must not be intimidated by Trump’s threats or get distracted by the outrageous and inhumane rhetoric coming from Washington, DC.
—Cristine Soto Deberry, Orange County Register, 11 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for rhetoric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rhetoric
Noun
-
Videos from those places in this storm show blinding winds and bad road conditions.—
Lynne Silva-Breen,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
-
The fires, fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, forced over 180,000 people to be put under evacuation orders and claimed the lives of at least 29 people.—
Karu F. Daniels,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Revolutionary art, revolutionary poetry won’t patch the leak in the world.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2025
-
The performance will include poetry, music, dance and theater, and focus on creating an environment where all feel safe and heard.—
Contributed Content,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Writing nonsense just to make word / article quotas.—
Harman Dayal,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
-
The Baltimore Sun owes Baltimore Ravens placekicker Justin Tucker a headline apology and let this nonsense go.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
As for Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, signed hours just before his meeting with Modi, the U.S. would simply charge the same tariff rates that India charges, Trump said, while the trade deficit with India could be addressed with the sale of oil and gas.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2025
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Russia was also kicked out of the SWIFT global banking system, while Western nations froze Russia's access to some of its foreign reserves, and Europe froze purchases of Russian oil and gas.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The vibe on-set is breezy and free; the collection of talent, both on the song and hanging out here today, makes the afternoon feel like the modern-day, Bay version of the Great Day in Harlem celebrating the 1950s New York jazz scene.—
Dan Rys,
Billboard,
11 Feb. 2025
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With jazz and soul inflections, her music has established her as a perennial force in contemporary R&B, earning her 11 Grammy nominations including one win for best traditional R&B performance in 2021.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
World & Nation Profile : Le Pen: Dark Side of the French Soul : Crude, powerful and dangerous, the onetime barroom brawler with the mesmerizing oratory has built a career on hatred.—
Thomas Adamson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Jan. 2025
-
Netanyahu has done little to aid Ukraine even in his oratory.—
Melik Kaylan,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The country will be served another helping of his bombast for the next four years.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Jan. 2025
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In many ways, the letter that President-elect Donald J. Trump’s criminal defense lawyers sent to the Justice Department this week was a display of legal and political bombast.—
Alan Feuer,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Much of that singularity was centered in McCarthy’s prose, which ricocheted—sometimes gracefully, sometimes jarringly—between gruff matter-of-factness and soaring, biblical grandiloquence.—
Alex Shephard,
The New Republic,
13 June 2023
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Several of them can fly, and all have at least a touch of grandiloquence to them.—
Michael Nordine,
Variety,
11 Aug. 2022
Thesaurus Entries Near rhetoric
Cite this Entry
“Rhetoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rhetoric. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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