1
as in rhetoric
boastful speech or writing
all the bluster in the campaign speech was intended to hide a lack of specifics
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2
as in roar
loud, confused, and usually inharmonious sound
I can't work with all the bluster in here
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
a mayor who got things done without a lot of bluster and self-serving publicity
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to huff
to talk loudly and wildly
the rude customer blustered and yelled threats about lawsuits, but eventually left
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bluster
Brad Lendon, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
While the sovereignty challenge has been mostly considered bluster, some of Trump’s right-flank allies in Congress have signaled their support.
—Rachel Schilke, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Mar. 2025
Matthew Chance, CNN, 16 Jan. 2025
Traveling to France, Nick quickly manages to be the most blatant fish-out-of-water cop since Gene Hackman’s Popeye Doyle blustered his way through Marseille in French Connection II.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for bluster
Noun
Some hope that the talk of a US withdrawal from NATO is just Trump bluster aimed at pushing allies to cough up and spend more on defense.
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
While the sovereignty challenge has been mostly considered bluster, some of Trump’s right-flank allies in Congress have signaled their support.
—Rachel Schilke, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Mar. 2025
Verb
Both Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin strongman, and the beleaguered Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, have cautiously welcomed Trump’s blustering intervention.
—Matthew Chance, CNN, 16 Jan. 2025
Traveling to France, Nick quickly manages to be the most blatant fish-out-of-water cop since Gene Hackman’s Popeye Doyle blustered his way through Marseille in French Connection II.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for bluster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bluster
Noun
-
Despite the current rhetoric, there seems to be rare agreement on addressing what many believe is a high-stakes issue.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2025
-
While Trump vowed repeatedly during the 2016, 2020 and 2024 election cycles not to cut Medicare, his actual record belies the rhetoric.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The tornado’s roar lasted only five seconds, but that was enough to demolish Bott’s service station, a family business and a Moundville, Missouri, landmark, leaving Bott in shock and with a feeling of uncertainty.—
Tammy Ljungblad,
Kansas City Star,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Expect to hear the unmistakable wail of a vintage F1 car echoing across the speedway, the guttural roar of classic V8s ripping through gears, and the shriek of modern hypercars proving their worth on the track.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The actress explains that after all that commotion, her son refused to walk home with shoes on.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
23 Apr. 2025
-
The man identified by authorities as Mutu is seen grabbing the girl’s arms and forcing them to her sides as neighbors responded to the commotion and confronted him.—
Diego Mendoza and Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Or flesh—notice the tiny worker huffing up the steps in the top right.—
Jackson Arn,
The New Yorker,
10 Mar. 2025
-
Adding in a motor has made cargo bikes much more workable for those riders who would like the convenience and capacity of a cargo bike but have hesitated in the past due to their own physical condition and the prospect of huffing a cargo bike up hills or across town.—
William Roberson,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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As a show, Agent Carter was full of fun and bombast, showing some of what its eponymous lead got up to after losing her love, Steve Rogers.—
Nola Pfau,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2025
-
In previous years, Bun B’s takeovers—H-Town, Southern, and All-American, respectively—leaned heavily into the bombast of hip-hop, an all-star showcase of Southern rap royalty.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Such evidence could support the view that incessant loud noise amounts to torture or cruel treatment towards cetaceans, in turn galvanizing support for a new right to be free from such harm.—
David Gruber,
Time,
24 Apr. 2025
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One appeal of the group’s messaging is its peculiarly British sensibility; the statements tend to cut through the noise.—
Anna Russell,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This case is still causing a stir in international law, with people discussing expropriation and investor rights—issues that the Russian elite relegated to afterthoughts to protect political concerns.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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Trump created a new stir on a related matter at Monday’s meeting.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Taylor-Johnson and Gosling have a lot of fun with Tom’s braggadocio and Colt’s deadpan replies when the star actor and his stunt double finally face off.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 May 2024
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The most successful of his sprawling New York rap crew, Mayers vaulted to fame in 2011 with a style defined by suave braggadocio and self-mythologizing reminiscent of old-school legends such as Rakim and the Wu-Tang Clan.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bluster. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.
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