as in pious
formal + disapproving
pretending to be morally better than other people
sanctimonious politicians A sanctimonious speech from someone who refused to acknowledge his own past failings.
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Recent Examples of sanctimonious
But the second half becomes increasingly generic conspiracy stuff, leading to a two-part conclusion that’s more smug and sanctimonious than the preceding action can justify.
—
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Nov. 2024
The Byzantines wrote an amoral flexibility into their system, despite its putative religiosity—a realistic approach that has become more difficult to accomplish in the United States, partly owing to the power of a sanctimonious media establishment.
—Robert D. Kaplan, Foreign Affairs, 4 Oct. 2022
This is the sanctimonious language of social media — the tone and medium Adichie criticized in her 2021 blog post — not of a nuanced social novel.
—Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2025
My point is simply that these perspectives have been so abused in America that God has become a sanctimonious prop that has more to do with a person’s politics than with any authentic spiritual insight.
—B.g. White, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sanctimonious
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Nov. 2024
The Byzantines wrote an amoral flexibility into their system, despite its putative religiosity—a realistic approach that has become more difficult to accomplish in the United States, partly owing to the power of a sanctimonious media establishment.
—Robert D. Kaplan, Foreign Affairs, 4 Oct. 2022
This is the sanctimonious language of social media — the tone and medium Adichie criticized in her 2021 blog post — not of a nuanced social novel.
—Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2025
My point is simply that these perspectives have been so abused in America that God has become a sanctimonious prop that has more to do with a person’s politics than with any authentic spiritual insight.
—B.g. White, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sanctimonious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctimonious
Adjective
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The baron and his pious daughter seem at peace with their mutual estrangement until Zsa-zsa suddenly decides to break that habit.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
18 May 2025
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But while the main character’s mother in that movie was an antagonistic figure, Fatima’s parents are portrayed as kind, not dogmatic or ostentatiously pious.—
Jon Frosch,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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And if your tax attorney crafts a great benefits plan for your business but fails to communicate the specifics to your retirement broker, the plan is meaningless.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Charlie Comfort, a Democrat from the former early-voting state of Iowa, said the critiques of Murphy and Khanna are meaningless so long after the 2024 election.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sanctimonious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctimonious. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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