as in metaphor
a mild or pleasant word group of words that is used instead of one that is unpleasant or offensive
using "eliminate" as a euphemism for "kill" She spoke in euphemisms when recounting the expletive-laden tirade.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of euphemism
And now Netanyahu announces a military takeover of Gaza City… which most informed commentators understand as a euphemism for the colonization of Gaza.
—
Walden Green, Pitchfork, 10 Aug. 2025
Consumer welfare is a bit of a red herring, but it’s often used as a euphemism for less enforcement rather than more enforcement.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2025
To say that wasn't a euphemism is crazy.
—Mekishana Pierre, EW.com, 4 Aug. 2025
How responsible a mother can be for her son’s actions remains an open question, but the contortions of her denial, with its euphemisms and its illogic, are closely and relentlessly examined, as is her inability to speak or act to stop him.
—Katie Kitamura, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for euphemism
Walden Green, Pitchfork, 10 Aug. 2025
Consumer welfare is a bit of a red herring, but it’s often used as a euphemism for less enforcement rather than more enforcement.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2025
To say that wasn't a euphemism is crazy.
—Mekishana Pierre, EW.com, 4 Aug. 2025
How responsible a mother can be for her son’s actions remains an open question, but the contortions of her denial, with its euphemisms and its illogic, are closely and relentlessly examined, as is her inability to speak or act to stop him.
—Katie Kitamura, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for euphemism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for euphemism
Noun
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The metaphor of a bucket of cold water is inadequate.—
Óscar Martínez & Carlos Martínez,
The Dial,
16 Sep. 2025
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Stryker took aim at people who insisted on using the creature as a derogatory metaphor.—
Thomas Page McBee,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Unlike older translation tools that convert sentences word-for-word (often leading to clunky or confusing results), Live Translation takes a more natural approach by translating phrases.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Sep. 2025
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Corporate power has shredded the netting of the World Wide Web, a phrase that now sounds risibly utopian.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The prototype delivered 13 per cent conversion efficiency, which, in simple terms, meant that with the prototype, for every 100 units of heat energy that went into the device, about 13 units were turned into electricity.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 2025
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At Thursday’s meeting, several panelists called for more studies to look at the long-term effects of measles vaccines, which have been extensively studied.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Euphemism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/euphemism. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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