as in lessons
a public speech usually by a member of the clergy for the purpose of giving moral guidance or uplift
a sermon whose message was that we should love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves
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Recent Examples of sermons
Even when the Lord’s name was left out, Stanley speeches sounded like sermons.
—
Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Late in his life, Dollison delivered sermons for Church of Christ congregations in Rector, Greenway and Jonesboro, as well as in the Missouri communities of Leachville and Campbell.
—Arkansas Online, 25 Apr. 2026
And the notes that accompany the sermons in outline form are strikingly similar to those Bickle provided for years, even down to the practice of boldfacing, italicizing and underlining certain points.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026
Kish won’t use magic during sermons.
—Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
This was evident in the themes of his sermons.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Friday prayer leaders often deliver sermons aligned with government messaging.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Inside were sermons, political tracts, and educational booklets.
—Regina E. Mason, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2026
Reh delivers sermons in both English and Karenni, helping to make religious services more accessible.
—Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Late in his life, Dollison delivered sermons for Church of Christ congregations in Rector, Greenway and Jonesboro, as well as in the Missouri communities of Leachville and Campbell.
—Arkansas Online, 25 Apr. 2026
And the notes that accompany the sermons in outline form are strikingly similar to those Bickle provided for years, even down to the practice of boldfacing, italicizing and underlining certain points.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026
Kish won’t use magic during sermons.
—Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
This was evident in the themes of his sermons.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Friday prayer leaders often deliver sermons aligned with government messaging.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Inside were sermons, political tracts, and educational booklets.
—Regina E. Mason, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2026
Reh delivers sermons in both English and Karenni, helping to make religious services more accessible.
—Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sermons
Noun
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That preparation included lessons in calligraphy, horseback riding, piano and Regency dancing.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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There are lessons to be learned from the more niche running brands that are increasingly showing up at the smaller (but equally crowded) marathon weekends.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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After about 90 minutes of speeches outside City Hall, demonstrators marched through Center City, led by some of the city's largest labor unions.—
Madeleine Wright,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
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In South Korea, thousands gathered near Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square for major labor rallies centered on collective bargaining and worker rights, but speeches also incorporated broader geopolitical messaging.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Noun
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No lectures, no homilies, no empty words.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
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In his fiery homilies, the Monsignor seems to target one new congregation member per week, pushing for the victory of a walkout.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Noun
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But data-sharing concerns prompted Zimbabwe to abandon talks this year over a similar deal to Ghana’s, and led a Kenyan court to suspend implementation of an agreement between Washington and Nairobi.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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The mixed results came on a day of rising oil prices and elevated gas prices, amid reports that Iran war peace talks have reached an impasse.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sermons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sermons. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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