as in idiom
a sequence of words having a specific meaning
kids drawing literal representations of the phrase "to rain cats and dogs"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to say
to convey in appropriate or telling terms
he had trouble thinking of how to phrase his question for the visiting dignitary
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of phrase
Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Writers can match the tone and style of English-language learners and high school students with simple phrases and vocabulary at no charge.
—Rowan Briggs, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Jan. 2025
However, Dylan has a way of phrasing himself in a way that can be teasingly hard to pin down.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for phrase
Noun
Earlier on Wednesday, Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, spoke about the new phrase about security guarantees in terms suggesting that the United States had not acceded to the request for its inclusion.
—Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Writers can match the tone and style of English-language learners and high school students with simple phrases and vocabulary at no charge.
—Rowan Briggs, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
The catch phrases that the departing and once-and-future presidents have used to describe their foreign policies don’t on their own suggest such very different approaches to the United States’ engagement with the world.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Jan. 2025
However, Dylan has a way of phrasing himself in a way that can be teasingly hard to pin down.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for phrase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phrase
Noun
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While often used sarcastically to mock true believers, the idiom reflects Italy’s enduring ambiguity toward Fascism, even 80 years after its fall.—
Mattia Ferraresi,
airmail.news,
1 Feb. 2025
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Knowing the correct four-word idioms is a sign of education.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The league does not publicize those distributions, but the Rays have been a beneficiary, people briefed on that process said.—
Evan Drellich,
The Athletic,
10 Mar. 2025
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Those frequent reports and projections are key, experts say, because food crises evolve over time, meaning early interventions save lives and save money.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN,
9 Mar. 2025
Verb
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For example, colleges don't know how to word their admissions essay questions.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA TODAY,
3 Mar. 2025
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First, during the data training, the pattern-matching will typically rely on wording clues about human values.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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However, Monahan also expressed optimism about the progress of the negotiations.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
6 Mar. 2025
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Germany is among the European countries that host U.S. nuclear weapons under NATO’s nuclear sharing policy, Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed reservations on Thursday in Brussels.—
Sylvie Corbet,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Phrase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phrase. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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