as in metaphors
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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Recent Examples of euphemisms
Willmett and Harris are clearly uninterested in euphemisms, so there’s an exaggerated naivety to their lyrics.
—
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
8 June 2026
Discussing why people use euphemisms online prepares children to pause and ask questions when unfamiliar terms appear.
—
Sharlette A. Kellum,
The Conversation,
6 Apr. 2026
When Oklahoma missed out on the NCAA Tournament, AD Roger Denny announced that coach Porter Moser was staying and offered up one of the great euphemisms of this era.
—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
Now there were no euphemisms for Germany’s leader.
—
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
Some of the suspects try to minimize their actions with euphemisms or paraphrases; others do so with explanations that the prosecutors find utterly implausible.
—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2026
In a year of cancellations and euphemisms, the city mounted a counterprogram that was quietly insurrectionary, stubbornly joyous.
—
The Editors,
Curbed,
15 Dec. 2025
And even ages 8 to 10 should be OK, depending on your thoughts about PG romantic intimacy and use of clever euphemisms.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
20 Nov. 2025
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
8 June 2026
Discussing why people use euphemisms online prepares children to pause and ask questions when unfamiliar terms appear.
—
Sharlette A. Kellum,
The Conversation,
6 Apr. 2026
When Oklahoma missed out on the NCAA Tournament, AD Roger Denny announced that coach Porter Moser was staying and offered up one of the great euphemisms of this era.
—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
Now there were no euphemisms for Germany’s leader.
—
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
Some of the suspects try to minimize their actions with euphemisms or paraphrases; others do so with explanations that the prosecutors find utterly implausible.
—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2026
In a year of cancellations and euphemisms, the city mounted a counterprogram that was quietly insurrectionary, stubbornly joyous.
—
The Editors,
Curbed,
15 Dec. 2025
And even ages 8 to 10 should be OK, depending on your thoughts about PG romantic intimacy and use of clever euphemisms.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
20 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for euphemisms
Noun
-
Gyllenhaal’s movie took heat for wanting to be too many things at once, but this is one of The Bell Jar’s central metaphors.
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The face’s centrality to social life is inscribed in our language, in the metaphors that betray our world view.
Noun
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Vermeule—a former clerk for Scalia—proposes that conservatives should read the Constitution’s ambiguous phrases and general structure in an openly moral way, drawing on principles grounded in the nature and purposes of government.
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The debate playing out in Kausen’s kitchen is repeated in homes across California and the country, where varying phrases on food packaging have long left shoppers unsure whether food is simply past its peak quality or unsafe to eat.
Noun
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Each union agreed to slightly different terms for how long the leave programs are in place and by how much salaries were reduced.
-
Review a bill, then send a polite message that clarifies terms, because simple words protect value and invite respectful responses.
Cite this Entry
“Euphemisms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/euphemisms. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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