1
as in rhetoric
boastful speech or writing
his taking credit for the rescue was mostly hot air, since the boat was actually saved by the Coast Guard
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2
as in wind
language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere
her campaign promise to "fight for the people" showed a taste for stale hot air
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of hot air
Every morning during the nine-day Canberra Balloon Spectacular (which starts March 15), the dawn skies will be filled with up to 50 hot air balloons, in a raft of shapes and colors—think T-Rex, Yoda from Star Wars, or a bagpiper.
—
Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 23 Dec. 2024
Instead of coming to Chicago to meet Cher and open the new store, Richard was going to Morocco to fly above the desert in a hot air balloon.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 16 Dec. 2024
The easiest way to do this is to take a thin layer of a shell and fill it with a very light gas like helium (hydrogen and hot air also work).
—Rhett Allain, WIRED, 27 Nov. 2024
Activities include a hot air balloon ride over the stunning vineyards of Champagne or guided tours of the renowned Champagne cellars.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hot air 
Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 23 Dec. 2024
Instead of coming to Chicago to meet Cher and open the new store, Richard was going to Morocco to fly above the desert in a hot air balloon.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 16 Dec. 2024
The easiest way to do this is to take a thin layer of a shell and fill it with a very light gas like helium (hydrogen and hot air also work).
—Rhett Allain, WIRED, 27 Nov. 2024
Activities include a hot air balloon ride over the stunning vineyards of Champagne or guided tours of the renowned Champagne cellars.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hot air
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hot air
Noun
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Fourteen years after their initial passage, the record is clear: contrary to the rhetoric, New York’s sanctuary laws have proven to be potent crime fighting tools.—
Peter L. Markowitz,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2025
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The rhetoric echoed his previous justification for the pullout: that the agreement imposed unfair economic burdens on the U.S. while allowing other countries, like China, to continue polluting.—
Nik Popli,
TIME,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The humble brag is a new shiny toy for some people.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
5 Dec. 2024
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The brag quickly caught the attention of Swift fans across social media, who rushed to attack Spector while defending Swift.—
Jackson Thompson,
Fox News,
19 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Using Cell Phones with Reckless Abandon While the ballpark is filled with cheers and chatter, nobody wants to be seated next to the person who’s loudly carrying on a phone conversation in the middle of it—or have to dodge the hundredth selfie snapped by the person in front of them.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
18 Jan. 2025
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The compressed size of the court and the smaller arena mean players — and fans — will be able to hear much more on-court chatter.—
Remy Tumin,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Apologies for the rant all, but just annoyed at this again.—
Sam Lee,
The Athletic,
25 Jan. 2025
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In another rant attached to Trump calling for former NFL player Marshawn Lynch to be suspended for sitting during the national anthem, Snoop unloaded on the disgraced businessman, calling him every curse word under the sun.—
Marc Griffin,
VIBE.com,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Additionally, Trump declared a national energy emergency to boost domestic oil and gas production and end the electric vehicle mandate.—
Kristen Waggoner,
Newsweek,
22 Jan. 2025
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Other executive orders include steps to halt leasing of large wind farms, and boost oil and gas production.—
Andrew Freedman,
Axios,
21 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Hot air.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hot%20air. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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