as in double
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
a mealymouthed compliment from a jealous competitor
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Recent Examples of mealymouthed
The problem is that fears of getting yelled at on social media lead to the kind of mealymouthed compromise no one wants.
—
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
But that word can be a mealymouthed way to describe housing that is still out of reach for low-income New Yorkers, and Won knows that better than most.
—Curbed, 23 Nov. 2022
The mealymouthed Dave Chappelle has even suggested that Ye’s turn to conspiracy thinking is an understandable reaction to Jewish prominence in Hollywood.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Dec. 2022
Mixed messages threaten to undercut the impact of these PSAs, and soft targets can make for mealymouthed calls to action.
—Mac Schwerin, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2022
But Roman, so often indecisive and mealymouthed, calmly insists that there’s no need to worry about those things.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2019
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
But that word can be a mealymouthed way to describe housing that is still out of reach for low-income New Yorkers, and Won knows that better than most.
—Curbed, 23 Nov. 2022
The mealymouthed Dave Chappelle has even suggested that Ye’s turn to conspiracy thinking is an understandable reaction to Jewish prominence in Hollywood.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Dec. 2022
Mixed messages threaten to undercut the impact of these PSAs, and soft targets can make for mealymouthed calls to action.
—Mac Schwerin, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2022
But Roman, so often indecisive and mealymouthed, calmly insists that there’s no need to worry about those things.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mealymouthed
Adjective
-
As Spain’s only double Oscar-qualifying animation festival, Animayo’s top honors serve as a launchpad to the Academy Awards.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
29 May 2025
-
She was born in Massachusetts to Nigerian immigrants and, as a teen, was an exceptional figure skater: one who could land double axels with a practiced ease that betrayed the intense commitment behind them.—
Daron James,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
There’s a backdrop of fake news and collective anxiety.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
5 June 2025
-
Federal agents concluded that many of the documents, which were turned over by an attorney representing the restaurant, were fake or falsified, according to the warrant.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
The woman is long gone, so Freer has to imagine her consent — in a history so full of gaps, coercion, and disappearance, a pretended connection is better than none at all.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2022
-
What most activates Dunn’s rage is the misogyny that only deepened amid all the pretended freedoms of the counterculture.—
Sam Sacks,
WSJ,
11 Nov. 2022
Adjective
-
By After Testing Over 30 Best Sellers By Siena Gagliano Unlike balms, which can make lip color slide around, a primer locks it in while keeping lips soft and comfortable.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
2 Mar. 2025
-
For lip color, reach for the Merit Beauty Signature lipsticks.—
Loren Savini,
Allure,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
For the last 26 years, the world’s most famous arena has been hollow in June.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
The rise of advertising, credit, and Facebook made meaning feel personal but hollow.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
Coulombe has been out since May 5 with a strained left forearm.—
Aaron Gleeman,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
-
The official synopsis for Father Mother Sister Brother reads: Estranged siblings reunite after years apart, forced to confront unresolved tensions and reevaluate their strained relationships with their emotionally distant parents.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Stone fruit: Stone fruits like peaches, plums, apricots, and pluots can become mealy when stored in the fridge.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
6 Apr. 2025
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Food Storage No-Nos Storing Tomatoes In the Fridge While there are many ways to store tomatoes that people prefer for different reasons, storing tomatoes in the fridge can lead to a mealy texture and taste that certainly does not make the most of your tomatoes.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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That’s not a backhanded compliment, that’s more … RUSSELL The reality.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2025
-
That sounds like a backhanded compliment, and the Scot’s technical quality shouldn’t be underestimated.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mealymouthed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mealymouthed. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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