How to Use phallic in a Sentence

phallic

adjective
  • The poem is filled with phallic imagery.
  • One of these towers seems to have breasts; others in the back of the room are somehow phallic.
    New York Times, 30 Oct. 2020
  • And at least the phallic image in this photo wasn’t made by AI.
    Allison Johnson, The Verge, 23 May 2023
  • Why, then, has the eggplant deposed the banana as the most phallic of fruits, at least in the digital sphere?
    Ligaya Mishan Melody Melamed, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2022
  • And now, Kim Kardashian is getting in on the phallic fun.
    Devon Ivie, Allure, 4 Oct. 2017
  • Not to mention, takes away all the phallic symbolism of the stopper.
    Shannon Carlin, refinery29.com, 17 May 2021
  • It’s this beautiful phoenix that came back out of the phallic ashes.
    Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2022
  • This makes some visual sense: Aside from the roots, orchids tend to look more vaginal than phallic.
    Katy Kelleher, Longreads, 9 Oct. 2019
  • Lesson: Get knocked down by a phallic rock seven times, stand up eight.
    Taylor Kay Phillip, The New Yorker, 28 June 2021
  • In the end, a velvet ring box opens to show a phallic-shaped diamond, because, of course, that’s the best way in for a second chance.
    Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 30 Mar. 2022
  • This is the second time this year the church has been vandalized in the middle of the night with phallic images, Roraff said.
    Annie Berman, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Nov. 2022
  • In a world of only women, there are no phallic structures.
    Sandy Cohen, The Seattle Times, 30 May 2017
  • Here’s another: Stationed near the bronze vulva is the skull of a bird with an enormous, phallic beak.
    Cate McQuaid, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Mar. 2018
  • So did Prime Video have any concerns about The Boys setting a very graphic and phallic scene against one of their biggest shows?
    Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 13 June 2024
  • From between Jupiter’s legs emerges the very phallic long neck and beak of the eagle with his bright, dark eye glaring down at the mortals below.
    Monika Schmitter, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2023
  • Chewy breadsticks win the award for being the second-most phallic food at TJ’s, but soy chorizo won’t be beaten!
    Alex Begg, Bon Appétit, 28 July 2021
  • One idea was setting it a little bit earlier and having the sleeves tight with the skirts almost phallic.
    Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 15 Dec. 2023
  • His work is rugged and phallic, austere and withholding.
    James Poniewozik, New York Times, 11 May 2017
  • The buzzy show got a fat phallic boost thanks to a full-frontal shower scene featuring Demos, and the first season was watched by some 67 million households.
    Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2023
  • Despite the phallic humor, the joke never overshadows the structure of the mystery.
    Nick Vadala, Philly.com, 11 Oct. 2017
  • Managing sweat and jiggly phallic simulacrums are all part of the grab bag of a body-centric show.
    Rachel Sherman, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
  • Sharks that glow in the dark, phallic peanut worms and uncannily displeased-looking blobfish were never meant to see the light of day.
    Megan Gannon, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2018
  • The city is masculine, full of gleaming, phallic skyscrapers, and to Elkin, this boys’ world is as where the real action happens.
    Madison Mainwaring, New Republic, 9 May 2017
  • The pine tree-looking ones are vegetative and the rather phallic looking ones are spore-bearing.
    oregonlive, 9 May 2020
  • Its tail was crafted in phallic-looking coils of clay and was peppered with electrical conduits, all of which have been cast in bronze.
    Martha Schwendener, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2018
  • Even the phallic shifter feels odd and cheap, diminishing the significance of this car to some degree.
    Tim Stevens, Robb Report, 4 May 2023
  • Another tip: Don't buy anything too phallic if your partner is a cis-male.
    Gigi Engle, Marie Claire, 25 Aug. 2017
  • The duo dance in a rain of flower petals before the shot cuts to a phallic crystal embedded in a jewelry box, bringing the video to an abrupt ending.
    Jude Zhu, Billboard, 30 Mar. 2022
  • Londoners are waiting to hear if the 1,000-foot Tulip—with a design that many contend is more phallic than floral—will be approved.
    The Economist, 29 June 2019
  • The electric blue sculpture modeled on party balloons fills the inner courtyard with its long phallic tail.
    Kirsty Lang For The Times, Robb Report, 1 Dec. 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'phallic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: