as in jeremiad
a long angry speech or scolding
the head coach was briefly suspended after launching into a foul-mouthed philippic during a press conference
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Recent Examples of philippic
The Atlantic’s second issue included a thunderous philippic of some 7,600 words on the relentless encroachments of slavery and the fate of the Republic.
—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
How not to hear in his philippic the traces of an OCD inscribed in our cultural DNA, a sanctimony that launched the archetypal act of avoidance that forms our origin myth?
—
Andrew Kay,
Harpers Magazine,
28 May 2025
The poet’s occasional philippics against capitalist excess are hard to distinguish from postwar politics, when former allies became lethal enemies, while in America the Red Scare of McCarthyism loomed.
—
William Logan,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
While its always welcome to see additional news outlets in the battle for truth, justice and the American way, this philippic certainly doesn’t deserve to be taken seriously as a dispenser of information.
—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Sep. 2022
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
How not to hear in his philippic the traces of an OCD inscribed in our cultural DNA, a sanctimony that launched the archetypal act of avoidance that forms our origin myth?
—
Andrew Kay,
Harpers Magazine,
28 May 2025
The poet’s occasional philippics against capitalist excess are hard to distinguish from postwar politics, when former allies became lethal enemies, while in America the Red Scare of McCarthyism loomed.
—
William Logan,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
While its always welcome to see additional news outlets in the battle for truth, justice and the American way, this philippic certainly doesn’t deserve to be taken seriously as a dispenser of information.
—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Sep. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for philippic
Noun
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The question, of course, is what we are supposed to do with these bourgeois jeremiads against bourgeois civilization, beyond enjoying them as high-end primal-scream therapy.
Noun
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In response to a complaint from former Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, Herbstreit posted a lengthy diatribe on X completely misunderstanding the modern game.
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On Wednesday night, Kennedy responded to the report with an 871-word diatribe on social media against the reporter, veteran journalist Sheryl Gay Stolberg, and the Times.
Noun
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Instead of pushing or trash talking in response to Bonner’s tirade, Cunningham simply pointed her finger directly at Bonner from a few feet away for over 22 seconds.
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Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee once put it this way about why some golfer tirades add character while others are despised.
Noun
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The British Army also provided protection from attacks by Native American tribes, giving many settlers little reason to support a rebellion.
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Twice in recent days, the United States has launched retaliatory strikes on Iran following drone attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Noun
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The legislation faced sharp criticism at home and abroad, and thousands of Slovaks repeatedly took to the streets to protest the law.
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Asked about the greenwashing criticism, a Council spokesperson said companies active in the fossil fuel sector can still contribute to the transition, for example by developing low-carbon fuels or building electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Noun
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Stephen Adly Guirgis, a New York playwright who specializes in urban pressure-cooker dramas, has a gift for writing subway strap-hanger harangues.
Noun
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If a street preacher shouts their sermon into a bullhorn on a public street, and a nearby business owner calls the police, who is in the right?
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The Cupichs attended a parish where mass was celebrated in Latin (the liturgical changes of the Second Vatican Council were yet to come) but the sermons were spoken in Croatian.
Noun
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In January 2025, a federal judge ruled that portion of the ordinance overburdens free speech rights by prohibiting anyone from providing any lecture in any San Diego public park or beach.
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And now today, Indiana head coach Stephanie White opens up her presser with a lecture on how America is racist and homophobic.
Cite this Entry
“Philippic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/philippic. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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