as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
unleashed a slew of expletives upon losing the tennis match
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expletive
Buttigieg quickly hit back at Trump, who used an expletive to describe his stewardship of the Department of Transportation.
—
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2025
Speaking after Grisham, police watcher Carolina Rodriguez said a number of expletives and was also removed.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Jan. 2025
This conversation contains expletives, and has been edited for length, clarity and continuity.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2025
When Valdivia declined to give him any money, the man allegedly muttered expletives before turning away.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 26 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for expletive
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2025
Speaking after Grisham, police watcher Carolina Rodriguez said a number of expletives and was also removed.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Jan. 2025
This conversation contains expletives, and has been edited for length, clarity and continuity.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2025
When Valdivia declined to give him any money, the man allegedly muttered expletives before turning away.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 26 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for expletive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expletive
Noun
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The Chinese Communist Party is a curse upon the earth.—
Jay Nordlinger,
National Review,
19 Feb. 2025
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Finishing fifth — or even fourth, as Liverpool managed last season — has historically been a bit of a curse, with teams struggling to build on their successes.—
Jessy Parker Humphreys,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Could a nice good swear on the pitch to express one’s anger stop a player from lashing out physically, channelling their anger through their vocal cords rather than their fists?—
Nick Miller,
The Athletic,
21 Feb. 2025
-
The station asked the band not to include the swears.—
Kris Holt,
Forbes,
2 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Republican lawmakers, however, are refusing to include any such language in the funding bill.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
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The song has been covered in various languages by more than 30 singers in its 52-year history — including The White Stripes, Olivia Newton-John, Miley Cyrus, Mindy Smith and many more.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Any time the Federal Communications Commission bans profanity from the airwaves, say, or whenever the Environmental Protection Agency issues a permit, the agency must comply with APA procedures.—
Christina Gatti,
NPR,
8 Feb. 2025
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Lemon’s video contains profanity and a racial slur.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Some took that remark as an innocent allusion to her job promoting fresh produce; others saw it as a longtime epithet for gay men.—
Anita Gates,
Orlando Sentinel,
10 Jan. 2025
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There have been racial epithets included in some of those.—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.—
NR Editors,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2020
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The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.—
Time,
Time,
11 June 2019
Noun
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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
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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
Articles Related to expletive
Cite this Entry
“Expletive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expletive. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
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