How to Use phrasing in a Sentence

phrasing

noun
Definition of phrasingnext
Synonyms for phrasingnext
  • The phrasing of the instructions was confusing.
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • He’s done the early-career phrasing very well, and the tonality of it.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 30 July 2024
  • Some of his phrasing matches the White House's own summary of what Trump said.
    — NBC News, 9 Dec. 2019
  • Others chose to cling to the breadcrumbs of hope contained in that 'not likely' phrasing.
    — SI.com, 8 Aug. 2019
  • This is the kind of phrasing on which questionable makeover television shows from the 2000s were built.
    — Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2023
  • One wonders, why does the phrasing include b’tocham (among them) and not b’tocho (within it)?
    — Rabbi Avi Weiss, sun-sentinel.com, 31 Jan. 2022
  • Thornton earned fame for her lusty phrasing, colorful asides and the idea of having the band bark back at her.
    — Mary Colurso | McOlurso@al.com, al, 22 Jan. 2020
  • His phrasing and tone just has a way of being so exciting.
    — Matt Wake, AL.com, 10 Apr. 2018
  • The phrasing baked into these laws about a threat to the life of the mother is also problematic.
    — Fiorella Valdesolo, Allure, 13 Sep. 2024
  • The first verse — cast in a lower range with a different, but compatible, phrasing — established the story of a former partner asking for a second chance.
    — Tom Roland, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'phrasing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: