1
as in rhetoric
boastful speech or writing
all the bluster in the campaign speech was intended to hide a lack of specifics
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2
as in roar
loud, confused, and usually inharmonious sound
I can't work with all the bluster in here
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
a mayor who got things done without a lot of bluster and self-serving publicity
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to huff
to talk loudly and wildly
the rude customer blustered and yelled threats about lawsuits, but eventually left
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bluster
Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2026
Zappolo, the sportscaster, said there was a sweet teddy bear behind the game-day bluster.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 18 Feb. 2026
Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2025
And a summit in the US state of Alaska, of all places, is red meat to resurgent Russian nationalists who still bluster about the territory being rightfully theirs.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bluster
Noun
Iran lies, cheats, blusters and bullies.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2026
Zappolo, the sportscaster, said there was a sweet teddy bear behind the game-day bluster.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
Although it is widely understood that Russia's space program is in decline, the most common tactic among Russian officials is to bluster about past greatness and talk about all the new programs that are under development.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2025
And a summit in the US state of Alaska, of all places, is red meat to resurgent Russian nationalists who still bluster about the territory being rightfully theirs.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bluster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bluster
Noun
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Like night one in Los Angeles, the usually unfiltered artist offered no commentary on the controversy and backlash surrounding him after years of antisemitic rhetoric, mental health struggles, and his public apology in a Wall Street Journal ad this past January for his antisemitic outbursts.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
4 Apr. 2026
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The rapper previously shared rhetoric widely deemed as antisemitic on social media, used a 2025 Super Bowl ad to redirect viewers to a website selling a $20 swastika T-shirt, and dropped a song praising Adolf Hitler.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Two of the biggest roars of the game came at halftime, incidentally.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
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Inside Son Doong, a subterranean river continues to carve the cave, producing a constant roar that echoes through its chambers.—
Brit McCandless Farmer,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Team parents were staying at our hotel where there was a commotion in the lobby.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
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The Crystal Police Department said between 75 and 150 children caused the commotion at Becker Park earlier this week.—
Anthony Bettin,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Washington’s Copium But the White House is huffing its own brand of copium.—
Newsweek Editors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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Audio from the Tread is more than loud enough even when huffing, puffing, and sprinting through a challenging interval.—
Craig Rawlins-Wilson,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Beirut — Strip away the bombast and superlatives.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
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People who dislike Minnelli’s singing maintain that her outer bombast conceals an inner void.—
Matt Weinstock,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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August 23 – September 22 Clarity lands where chatter once created noise.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Apr. 2026
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His photographs of New York redirect our attention by taking the noise out of the city.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Garcia said detectives have learned that Serrano was not connected to the initial domestic disturbance call that brought officers to the neighborhood.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Mar. 2026
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Several fungal species are most often carried by dust and other soil disturbances, posing health risks when inhaled.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Rather than bluster and braggadocio, the Department of Defense needs a well-conceived and thoughtfully presented multiyear program to build a military fit for large-scale and sustained war.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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Nicholson's portrayal of a rebellious mental hospital inmate is a phenomenal combination of sly intelligence and impish braggadocio, best showcased during the scene where, thwarted in his attempt to watch the World Series on TV, McMurphy ad libs a commentary in front of a blank set.—
Devan Coggan,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bluster. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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