1
: a characteristic manner or style of expression : diction
2
a
: a brief expression
especially
: catchphrase
b
: word
3
: a short musical thought typically two to four measures long closing with a cadence
4
: a word or group of words forming a syntactic constituent with a single grammatical function
an adverbial phrase
5
: a series of dance movements comprising a section of a pattern
phrased; phrasing
1
a
: to express in words or in appropriate or telling terms
b
: to designate by a descriptive word or phrase
2
: to divide into melodic phrases
Synonyms
Examples of phrase in a Sentence
Noun
Answer the questions in complete sentences, not phrases.
She used the phrase “I strongly believe” too many times in her speech.
Underline the key words or phrases in the paragraph.
To borrow a phrase from my mother, I spend too much time “watching the boob tube” and not enough time outside.
Verb
He phrased his version of the story in a way that made him look good.
The question was awkwardly phrased.
The singer phrased the music beautifully.
Recent Examples on the Web
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
To make each show feel unique for her fans, Olivia and her team collaborated to create a new, city-specific phrase for her final outfit of every tour stop.
—Kristen Wisneski, Billboard, 19 Nov. 2024
Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Consider that the way the team phrased the QB dynamic after Wilson signed led Kenny Pickett to ask for a trade.
—Mike Defabo, The Athletic, 24 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for phrase 
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.
Noun
The phrase encapsulates the unwavering hope of the Cuban people that their decades-long nightmare under Fidel Castro (and now his successors) will one day end because darkness eventually always yields to light.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
To make each show feel unique for her fans, Olivia and her team collaborated to create a new, city-specific phrase for her final outfit of every tour stop.
—Kristen Wisneski, Billboard, 19 Nov. 2024
Verb
Ultimately, the 2024 election presents us with the opportunity to pick a definitive side in America's roiling cold civil war, which this column has often phrased as that between the forces of civilizational sanity and the forces of civilizational arson.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Consider that the way the team phrased the QB dynamic after Wilson signed led Kenny Pickett to ask for a trade.
—Mike Defabo, The Athletic, 24 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for phrase
Dictionary Entries Near phrase
Cite this Entry
“Phrase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phrase. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
phrase
1 of 2 noun1
: a brief expression
especially
: one commonly used
2
: a small unit of a musical passage usually several measures long
3
: a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not form a complete sentence
"out the door" in "they ran out the door" is a phrase
phrasal
adjective
ˈfrā-zəl
phrasally
adverb
-zə-lē
phrase
2 of 2 verb
phrased; phrasing
1
: to express in words
2
: to divide into musical phrases
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share