as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
unleashed a slew of expletives upon losing the tennis match
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expletive
Any of these phrases, plus an expletive or two, are the kinds of things you’re bound to hear from the lips of someone who’s about to get slammed by a bus or flattened like a pancake by a billboard.
—
Kellina Moore, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Footage from a doorbell camera released to multiple media organizations shows an officer, later identified as Sebastian Alli, on a front porch speaking to people inside using several expletives.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 13 May 2025
But if your finger or expletives lead to aggressive driving or violence, the road rage can lead to trouble with the law.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2025
The Knicks fan then began a series of expletives, roasting the ESPN insider.
—Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for expletive
Kellina Moore, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Footage from a doorbell camera released to multiple media organizations shows an officer, later identified as Sebastian Alli, on a front porch speaking to people inside using several expletives.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 13 May 2025
But if your finger or expletives lead to aggressive driving or violence, the road rage can lead to trouble with the law.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2025
The Knicks fan then began a series of expletives, roasting the ESPN insider.
—Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for expletive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expletive
Noun
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The sheer volume of deals promoted by Amazon during sales like Prime Day is a blessing and a curse.—
Louryn Strampe,
Wired News,
12 June 2025
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No conference in major college football can match the Big 12 for parity, which is both a blessing and curse.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Bonus: For every 100ml bottle sold, Omorovicza donates 5% to Water.org, supporting global access to safe water. Jones Road Miracle Balm, $40 Women over 50 swear by this award-winning, Bobbi Brown-founded brand for its nourishing and hydrating qualities.—
Kristen Philipkoski,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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The word was forbidden in their household and treated like a swear.—
Ariana Yaptangco,
Glamour,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The government's 2011 population census found that a little more than 10% of Indians fluently speak the language.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
8 June 2025
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Photosynthesis was such a profound development; so were eukaryotes, nervous systems and language.—
Philip Ball,
Wired News,
8 June 2025
Noun
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The two met in first grade at their elementary school in North Carolina, where they were both placed in detention for writing profanity on their tests.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
6 June 2025
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The alleged profanity is believed to have been directed at Jewell Loyd, who joined the Aces during the 2025 offseason after 10 seasons with Seattle, the source said.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
5 June 2025
Noun
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The frequent Trump epithet losers would be a suitably pejorative modern equivalent.—
Graham Robb,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2025
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The event was held by the California Federation of Labor Unions and the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, so there was ample praise for California workers and plenty of epithets hurled at President Trump.—
Phil Willon,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2025
Noun
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As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.—
NR Editors,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2020
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The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.—
Time,
Time,
11 June 2019
Noun
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And, when the alarm wails hours before dawn, human cusses of angry protest join the chorus of budget appliances failing before their time.—
Virginia Konchan,
The New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2024
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My grandmother extended a ladder up into this tough old cuss of a tree and climbed up, at some risk, to pick the bulging fruit.—
Jim Meddleton,
The Christian Science Monitor,
1 May 2024
Cite this Entry
“Expletive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expletive. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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