1
as in linguistic
of or relating to words or language the child didn't yet have the verbal skills needed to tell the doctor about the pain he was experiencing

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2
as in oral
made or carried on through speaking rather than in writing a verbal agreement carries less force than a written contract

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of verbal The long-running suit, filed in 2017, claims Oakley was unlawfully kicked out of Madison Square Garden after making verbal jabs at James Dolan, the arena’s owner, at a Knicks game. Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2025 Researchers have reported impacts on verbal learning, memory and attention, while imaging studies have pointed to changes in the brain related to the use of cannabis and other substances. Roni Caryn Rabin, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025 And for the first time, the aspiring stars sang for the audience's vote as judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood gave verbal pats on the back. Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025 The Hurricanes on Saturday received a verbal commitment from four-star cornerback Jontavius Wyman, flipping the Jonesboro, Georgia, native from the Georgia Bulldogs. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for verbal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for verbal
Adjective
  • Football content creator Will Powell — better known by his social media pseudonym, Bryan’s Gunn — has always been fascinated by the linguistic quirks and tropes of football.
    James McNicholas, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Those metrics included educational-attainment diversity, linguistic diversity, and industry diversity.
    Madeline Fitzgerald, Quartz, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Good oral hygiene and daily tongue scrubbings with a toothbrush typically turn the tongue back to normal in a few months.
    Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2025
  • Structure Therapeutics is developing a once-daily oral GLP-1 drug.
    Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Open, warm, and highly communicative, Chauffe, who performs as hemlock, has made a name for herself around the country by embracing a free-spirited and loose approach to her music and her everyday life.
    Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Image The accusations, however, that the institution’s leaders are neither approachable nor communicative will linger after Mr. Hill’s departure.
    Christopher Maag, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But the bills have changed the rhetorical landscape.
    Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The Biden administration had largely kept Trump-era tariffs in place, albeit with fewer rhetorical fireworks.
    John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Verbal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/verbal. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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