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
And these deals don’t disappoint — from the best eye cream for dark circles to one of PEOPLE’s best hot air brushes to a TikTok-viral highlighter, and more.
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Madison Yauger, People.com, 25 Nov. 2024
The actors/singers/dancers interact with each other, or with big ornamental props or even with hot air geysers and bicycle-like machine that looks like a flock of birds in flight.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Nov. 2024
High pressure systems in the upper atmosphere typically drive all of California’s major heat waves, creating a lid over an area as air sinks — a phenomenon sometimes referred to as a heat dome — which prevents hot air from rising, essentially trapping it.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
Take a tethered hot air balloon ride, watch the ponies or duel a knight this weekend.
—Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hot air 
Madison Yauger, People.com, 25 Nov. 2024
The actors/singers/dancers interact with each other, or with big ornamental props or even with hot air geysers and bicycle-like machine that looks like a flock of birds in flight.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Nov. 2024
High pressure systems in the upper atmosphere typically drive all of California’s major heat waves, creating a lid over an area as air sinks — a phenomenon sometimes referred to as a heat dome — which prevents hot air from rising, essentially trapping it.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
Take a tethered hot air balloon ride, watch the ponies or duel a knight this weekend.
—Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hot air
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hot air
Noun
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The rhetoric on social media following that – that murder is extraordinarily alarming.CBS News, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2024
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The steep slide that month came as Fed rhetoric was perceived as too hawkish for comfort, coinciding with concerns over tariff impacts.Michael Santoli, CNBC, 21 Dec. 2024
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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Hong Kong and Mainland China grinded higher, led by growth stocks and consumer subsectors on chatter of holiday season vouchers and in anticipation of the post-CEWC release’s pro-consumption and fiscal policy expansion.Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
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The chatter began as soon as Trump first announced that Vance would join him on the Republican presidential ticket.Jeremiah Poff, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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This wasn’t Joe Judge’s infamous 11-minute rant late in the 2021 season.Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
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Then, after Adams nails this rant of maternal sound and fury, signifying that the kids may be all right but the matriarchs of the world are anything but, Heller rewinds and resets the moment.David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
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And more recently, Hänni used Rosetta data to identify dimethyl sulfide—a gas that, on Earth, is only known to be produced by living organisms.Elise Cutts, WIRED, 22 Dec. 2024
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Those gases usually gather in the parts of the gastrointestinal tract located near the rear of the turtle, so the animal is left floating bum-up at an unnatural angle.Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 21 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Hot air.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hot%20air. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.
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