as in idioms
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 words
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 phrases
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025
Priority handles refer to usernames comprising full names, multi-word phrases, or alphanumeric combinations.
—PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
There are sounds, and then there are words or phrases that are particular.
—Carole Horst, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025
But Sarah Lebovitz Suria, a licensed psychologist and parenting and school strategist has shared the phrases parents should avoid—and what to opt for instead—drawing on over 10 years of practice.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Nonsense phrases like this aren’t inherently harmful, and 6-7 certainly isn’t going to bring about the end of the English language, Fairhurst said.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
The question isn’t whether employees will continue packaging their frustrations into new phrases.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
Heck, even one of his catch-all phrases connects the points.
—Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2025
So Schwarber stood there, all right, uttering phrases no player on any team ever wants to utter during this time of year.
—Jayson Stark, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
In essence, the Iowa and West Virginia sports cases ask the court to rule whether a transgender girl – a person assigned male at birth who has transitioned to align with their identity as a girl or woman, as the AP Stylebook phrases it – is a girl or a boy.
—Morgan Marietta, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
Extract phrases from calls, build frameworks from notes, convert DMs to posts.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
One-by-one the students came up to the mic to say silly phrases that Sheeran looped together to form a rhythm, earning praise from the teachers for his pedagogical skills.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025
Priority handles refer to usernames comprising full names, multi-word phrases, or alphanumeric combinations.
—PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
There are sounds, and then there are words or phrases that are particular.
—Carole Horst, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025
But Sarah Lebovitz Suria, a licensed psychologist and parenting and school strategist has shared the phrases parents should avoid—and what to opt for instead—drawing on over 10 years of practice.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Nonsense phrases like this aren’t inherently harmful, and 6-7 certainly isn’t going to bring about the end of the English language, Fairhurst said.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
The question isn’t whether employees will continue packaging their frustrations into new phrases.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
Heck, even one of his catch-all phrases connects the points.
—Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2025
So Schwarber stood there, all right, uttering phrases no player on any team ever wants to utter during this time of year.
—Jayson Stark, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
To this day, people come up to him and quote phrases his character used to utter.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
In essence, the Iowa and West Virginia sports cases ask the court to rule whether a transgender girl – a person assigned male at birth who has transitioned to align with their identity as a girl or woman, as the AP Stylebook phrases it – is a girl or a boy.
—Morgan Marietta, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
Extract phrases from calls, build frameworks from notes, convert DMs to posts.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phrases
Noun
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Music unites the interconnecting stories in this saga and expands its passions, with a sumptuous score by composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens that taps into a wide range of American styles, idioms and amalgams, even as the second act turns more dissonant.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
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The history of labor struggle, infused with religious idioms, is a source of identity and values evident in everything from union meetings in churches to prayers on picket lines.—
The Conversation,
The Conversation,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Ram's driver, Kolton Blees, 30, of Pearcy was injured, the report says.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Oct. 2025
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Compact Umbrella London is no stranger to rainy days, and as many cities gear up for less predictable weather this fall and winter, Ali says an umbrella is a must-have item for any trip.—
Kristin Braswell,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Dietzen also frequently posts with his wife of two decades and expresses his gratitude for her as a mother.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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Sharing our thoughts and prayers after a mass shooting expresses our grief and compassion as human beings.—
Scott Peters,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Phrases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phrases. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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