as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
unleashed a slew of expletives upon losing the tennis match
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of expletive
Still, in the days to come, his expletive will be repeated in millions of family rooms across the country as the Dow experienced its biggest wipeout since 2020.
—
Joseph Coughlin, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
During an interview with British outlet The Telegraph, Porter described a conversation with Wintour in the months leading up to Styles' cover and referred to the editor-in-chief using an expletive.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 7 May 2025
During the third quarter of Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers’ only win in the series, a clip of Redick laying into the team with expletives during a timeout went viral.
—Jovan Buha, New York Times, 3 May 2025
In the opening scene of Season 3, Nicholas Duvernay’s character hurls expletives at a Buddha statue — encapsulating the character’s cultural ignorance while also foreshadowing how the retreat will be anything but peaceful for those seeking peace.
—Viren Naidu, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expletive
Joseph Coughlin, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
During an interview with British outlet The Telegraph, Porter described a conversation with Wintour in the months leading up to Styles' cover and referred to the editor-in-chief using an expletive.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 7 May 2025
During the third quarter of Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers’ only win in the series, a clip of Redick laying into the team with expletives during a timeout went viral.
—Jovan Buha, New York Times, 3 May 2025
In the opening scene of Season 3, Nicholas Duvernay’s character hurls expletives at a Buddha statue — encapsulating the character’s cultural ignorance while also foreshadowing how the retreat will be anything but peaceful for those seeking peace.
—Viren Naidu, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expletive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expletive
Noun
-
Christopher Walken stars as a school teacher who comes out of a coma with a gift that feels more like a terrifying curse.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
-
While Rory McIlroy finally broke his 11-year curse to claim the green jacket, Bradley struggled, missing the cut with a 3-over-par.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
The word was forbidden in their household and treated like a swear.—
Ariana Yaptangco,
Glamour,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Is this the kind of situation where mild swears seem generally used?—
Stacey Colino,
Time,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Previously, pro-Kremlin trolls had been notably restrained in commenting on Trump, using neutral or careful language, Agentstvo reported.—
Isabel van Brugen,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 May 2025
-
This platform uses rigorous standardization protocols, like OMB guidelines for demographics and ISO codes for language, ensuring consistency.—
Raghvendra Tripathi,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was fined $50,000 Wednesday by the NBA for using profanity during his postgame news conference on Tuesday.—
James Jackson,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
According to one current and three former employees, management began reviewing all store materials after receiving a complaint from a customer against profanity on a greeting card.—
Dakota Parks,
NBC news,
5 May 2025
Noun
-
The film shows footage of counter-protesters coming onto campus, slinging epithets.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
17 May 2025
-
Shiloh Hendrix, the Minnesota mom filmed repeatedly saying the N-word after being accused of using that epithet to berate a child, has raised more than $750,000 since launching a fundraising campaign one week ago.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.—
NR Editors,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2020
-
The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.—
Time,
Time,
11 June 2019
Noun
-
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
-
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 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share