1
as in rhetoric
boastful speech or writing
all the bluster in the campaign speech was intended to hide a lack of specifics
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in roar
loud, confused, and usually inharmonious sound
I can't work with all the bluster in here
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bluster
Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
For all the bluster about the league’s incredible financial come-up in the last few years, the lingering and often bitter negotiation about a new collective bargaining agreement finally ended late Tuesday night.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Andrew Latham, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026
The administration also has ordered a massive military buildup in the Caribbean and blustered about regime change given the nation’s awful socialist leader.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bluster
Noun
Rather than bluster and braggadocio, the Department of Defense needs a well-conceived and thoughtfully presented multiyear program to build a military fit for large-scale and sustained war.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
For all the bluster about the league’s incredible financial come-up in the last few years, the lingering and often bitter negotiation about a new collective bargaining agreement finally ended late Tuesday night.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
Trump has blustered, contradicted himself publicly, ramped-up rhetorically and then backed down, mostly without receiving obvious concessions.
—Andrew Latham, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026
The administration also has ordered a massive military buildup in the Caribbean and blustered about regime change given the nation’s awful socialist leader.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bluster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bluster
Noun
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Framed as a platform for addressing inequality, climate change and the rise of right-wing political movements, yet the rhetoric coming from it has raised questions in Washington and across the region about whether a more coordinated political counterweight to the United States is taking shape.—
Armando Regil Velasco,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
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People have been called pedants since the early modern period—pedante is a fifteenth-century Italian coinage for a professional teacher of Latin literature and rhetoric—but have been acting pedantically for millennia.—
Clare Bucknell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Staff remembered him for his calm temperament, distinctive mane and loud roar — as well as a goofy streak, the zoo said.—
Kristi Miller,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
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Shadows and strange sounds can set imaginations whirring—from the guttural roar of a hunting lion to the giggling calls of a feasting hyena pack.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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With all of the commotion made about his on-base streak being snapped, his performance on the mound was almost an afterthought.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
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From its location away from the courtroom, the jury heard a commotion.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Isaac Hayden huffed and puffed but received little support from Blackpool’s Karoy Anderson.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
31 Mar. 2026
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Washington’s Copium But the White House is huffing its own brand of copium.—
Newsweek Editors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Brian Gibson’s gangrenous bass riffs and gibbering, muffled vocals have even more gonzo energy than usual, while Chippendale mixes bombast and finesse with his customary flair.—
Reed Jackson,
SPIN,
24 Apr. 2026
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Eye-rolling over Gorka’s bombast has given way to anxiety about the administration’s preparedness to identify and stop major plots.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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October 23 – November 21 Your focus cuts through noise and moves things forward.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
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Scorpio October 23 – November 21 Your focus cuts through noise and moves things forward.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But since that ridge shifted from Northern California in early April, the new pattern has invited multiple low-pressure disturbances into the region.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
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About 4% of those students — or roughly 300,000 students — are labeled with emotional disturbance.—
Laurie Stern,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This is another stride of lyricism, philosophy, I’m-the-best braggadocio, bravado.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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But for everything Gates said that might appeal to a frustrated Democrat like me, his Huntington Beach braggadocio continually won out.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bluster. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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