1
as in bold
displaying or marked by rude boldness
with an audacious disregard for innocent bystanders, rival gang members opened fire
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in courageous
foolishly adventurous or bold
an audacious effort to start her own business with no real plan or funding
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in adventurous
inclined or willing to take risks
audacious adventurers risking everything they had for a shot at glory
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of audacious
This action comedy is audacious in portraying the pretensions of show business.
—
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Jan. 2026
The crime seemed audacious even for him, and the story was hard to follow, full of unreliable middlemen and documents of uncertain authenticity.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2026
Exactly one month earlier, the Thunder treaded in dynastic waters until San Antonio rose as a worthy foil, audacious enough to disrupt their flow.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
For most of DeSantis’ term, the state has been governed his desire to serve the needs of the wealthy elite while burnishing his credentials as an audacious renegade.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for audacious
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Jan. 2026
The crime seemed audacious even for him, and the story was hard to follow, full of unreliable middlemen and documents of uncertain authenticity.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2026
Exactly one month earlier, the Thunder treaded in dynastic waters until San Antonio rose as a worthy foil, audacious enough to disrupt their flow.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
For most of DeSantis’ term, the state has been governed his desire to serve the needs of the wealthy elite while burnishing his credentials as an audacious renegade.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for audacious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for audacious
Adjective
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This showstopper of a dessert mashes up the bold caffeinated flavors of classic tiramisu with the perfectly wobbly, creamy perfection of panna cotta.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Making a monetization limitations promise up front is a bold move as a small indie studio, but that is one way in which Wildlight plans to differentiate itself from other video game developers.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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That single, raw courageous act for Fritzie to lie about her age spared her life in the moment.—
Bernard Cherkasov,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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May 21 – June 20 A courageous vision can lead you through complex issues.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The couple also chose an adventurous activity for their honeymoon in 1996.—
Ariana Quihuiz,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
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Desserts, too, are both adventurous and delicious.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Some advise using buckets of steaming hot water to speed up the job of removing ice, but this isn't always the wisest idea.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
23 Jan. 2026
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There wasn’t room for anyone else either physically or personality-wise.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Later that month, a reckless driver trying to flee police hit and killed a 28-year-old man.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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The Oceanside City Council recently revised their e-bike ordinance to allow law enforcement to confiscate e-bikes from reckless riders.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The looks grew more daring, spanning tear-away jean shorts and jeans covered in clear sequins to micro shorts worn over base layers.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
29 Jan. 2026
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Insisting that the mission is bigger than any one person, including its creator, the film opens space for more daring, messy attempts to follow.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In a particularly brazen flouting of traffic laws, one Waymo allegedly drove near the students who were disembarking from the bus.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
29 Jan. 2026
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Officials say the scammers' schemes range from the savvy to the sloppy -- and all are brazen.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Those specifics aside, more stunningly, researchers discovered that these brave, early explorers of new worlds demonstrated a different way of moving than had been previously understood.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Jan. 2026
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If Tulsa, Oklahoma, can create this support system from scratch and help thousands of strangers succeed in a new town, any organization can adapt to support their employees in our brave, new remote world.—
Justin Harlan,
Fortune,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Audacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/audacious. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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