as in to rant
disapproving
to speak or express your opinion about something in a way that shows that you think you are always right
We had to listen to her pontificate about the best way to raise children.
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Recent Examples of pontificate
Those who usually pontificate on the nature of democracy and about what kind of U.S. president would be better for China are at a loss to explain the Trump phenomenon to the Chinese public.
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Eric X. Li, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2016
Numerous times, Rodgers has also expanded his microphone stylings in order to pontificate on politics, personal life-style, hallucinogenic drugs, and other topics that have nothing to do with passing or play-calling.
—Bob Raissman, New York Daily News, 27 July 2024
As Gandhi pontificated on his pet theme, that there are two Indias, one shining and one increasingly left behind, a journalist asked a farmer in the audience for a reaction.
—Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2012
Those who hold elective office, or aspire to, would do well to spend more of their time listening to the great unwashed middle, and way less time pontificating and pandering to the extremists.
—For Carroll County Times, Baltimore Sun, 30 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for pontificate 
Eric X. Li, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2016
Numerous times, Rodgers has also expanded his microphone stylings in order to pontificate on politics, personal life-style, hallucinogenic drugs, and other topics that have nothing to do with passing or play-calling.
—Bob Raissman, New York Daily News, 27 July 2024
As Gandhi pontificated on his pet theme, that there are two Indias, one shining and one increasingly left behind, a journalist asked a farmer in the audience for a reaction.
—Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2012
Those who hold elective office, or aspire to, would do well to spend more of their time listening to the great unwashed middle, and way less time pontificating and pandering to the extremists.
—For Carroll County Times, Baltimore Sun, 30 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for pontificate
Thesaurus Entries Near pontificate
Cite this Entry
“Pontificate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pontificate. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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