1
as in wind
language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere
the mayor's promise to fight drugs was just rhetoric, since there was no money in the city budget for a drug program
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in poetry
the art or power of speaking or writing in a forceful and convincing way
great leaders have often been masters of rhetoric, which they have used for both good and ill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rhetoric
Each incident represents a dangerous point along a continuum—from rhetoric, to intimidation, to violence—and in every case, perpetrators justified their actions by claiming solidarity with Palestinians.
—
Brian Strauss, Time, 30 July 2025
Public debate, especially on television, is often marked by racist and reactionary rhetoric.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
The controversy comes in the shadow of Israel’s war in Gaza, which people who signed the letter told CNN is the catalyst for a lot of Islamophobic rhetoric.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 25 July 2025
With harsh rhetoric that has sowed fear in immigrant communities, and policies that ignore immigrants’ due process rights, Trump has pursued deportation tactics that differ dramatically from those of any other modern U.S. president.
—Kevin Johnson, The Conversation, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rhetoric
Brian Strauss, Time, 30 July 2025
Public debate, especially on television, is often marked by racist and reactionary rhetoric.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
The controversy comes in the shadow of Israel’s war in Gaza, which people who signed the letter told CNN is the catalyst for a lot of Islamophobic rhetoric.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 25 July 2025
With harsh rhetoric that has sowed fear in immigrant communities, and policies that ignore immigrants’ due process rights, Trump has pursued deportation tactics that differ dramatically from those of any other modern U.S. president.
—Kevin Johnson, The Conversation, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rhetoric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rhetoric
Noun
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There isn’t a sound except the wind and the river, and the splash of Tommy’s net scooping our beauties out of the grey nickel blue.—
Jennifer Leigh Parker,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
-
The winds are expected to be similar to those on Saturday.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
Here’s a special selection of fantastic novels from Kenyan authors representing fresh perspectives on the human condition across poetry, fiction and nonfiction.—
Wanjeri Gakuru
July 11,
Literary Hub,
11 July 2025
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Coal miners have a long tradition creating poetry and music related to their job, settlement officials said.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
11 July 2025
Noun
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While praised by real-life doctors for being one of the more accurate medical shows, Scrubs still made room for plenty of silly, lighthearted nonsense.—
James Mercadante,
EW.com,
21 July 2025
-
In that case, this is a lot of nonsense over something that just won’t arise.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
Noun
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The Trump Administration’s oil and gas deregulation push should also be a positive for the sector as a whole.—
MoneyShow,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Repealing emission standard for new cars could save Americans money — if gas prices drop.—
Ignacio Calderon,
USA Today,
31 July 2025
Noun
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That's especially true on Friday and Saturday nights when big bands and jazz singers take the stage.—
Keith Pandolfi,
The Enquirer,
31 July 2025
-
The entertainment might be an out-of-town jazz band or the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
30 July 2025
Noun
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Hugo would likely have been repelled and fascinated by Trump’s demagoguery, his rambling mendacity, his grammatically illogical but easy-to-follow oratory.—
Graham Robb,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2025
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Her brand at the time was something like the Obama of the antipodes: a liberal media darling, icon of the global anti-Trump resistance, transitioning smoothly from lofty oratory to easygoing relatability.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Noun
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The chorus is essentially one word (peaches) repeated incessantly with operatic bombast.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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You’ll be treated to swank surroundings and a surprisingly refined and nuanced meal filled with bombast and a hint of down-to-earth charm from its culinary director, Ben Martinek (formerly of Montage Laguna Beach’s Loft and Studio).—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
3 June 2025
Noun
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Much of that singularity was centered in McCarthy’s prose, which ricocheted—sometimes gracefully, sometimes jarringly—between gruff matter-of-factness and soaring, biblical grandiloquence.—
Alex Shephard,
The New Republic,
13 June 2023
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Several of them can fly, and all have at least a touch of grandiloquence to them.—
Michael Nordine,
Variety,
11 Aug. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Rhetoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rhetoric. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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