philippics

noun

plural of philippic
as in attacks
a long angry speech or scolding the head coach was briefly suspended after launching into a foul-mouthed philippic during a press conference

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for philippics
  1. attacks
  2. criticisms
  3. tirades
  4. jeremiads
  5. diatribes
  6. rants
  7. harangues
  8. sermons
Noun
  • One part of this offensive doctrine is the persistent but unpredictable attacks on tankers leaving the Gulf – so as to keep oil prices high.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Kyiv has stepped up its attacks on Russia this year, with long-range missiles and swarms of drones targeting military industries and energy facilities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of attacks
Noun
  • The documentary spotlighted some harsh criticisms of the show and of Banks.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Often these kinds of criticisms can be dismissed as a matter of taste, not to mention prejudice.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of criticisms
Noun
  • Her scrolled embroideries have since been described as tirades, rants, and screeds—no horses or cables, just the language pummeling the eye.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee once put it this way about why some golfer tirades add character while others are despised.
    — Brody Miller, New York Times, 19 June 2026
Definition of tirades
Noun
  • The question, of course, is what we are supposed to do with these bourgeois jeremiads against bourgeois civilization, beyond enjoying them as high-end primal-scream therapy.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Definition of jeremiads
Noun
  • Design After endless diatribes about the quirky lines of Ferrari’s all-electric Luce, the marque’s enthusiasts will find that the Amalfi Spider’s long-hood, raked-screen, and open-top lines are comfortingly familiar and unquestionably gorgeous.
    — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Trump’s social media feed and rhetoric overflow with racist diatribes.
    — Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2026
Definition of diatribes
Noun
  • Her scrolled embroideries have since been described as tirades, rants, and screeds—no horses or cables, just the language pummeling the eye.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
  • That’s what 49ers outcast Brandon Aiyuk, amid his recent social-media rants, mockingly called the practice facility that neighbors an almighty electrical substation.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
Definition of rants
Noun
  • Stephen Adly Guirgis, a New York playwright who specializes in urban pressure-cooker dramas, has a gift for writing subway strap-hanger harangues.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of harangues
Noun
  • She was schooled in The African Methodist Pocket Hymn Book and the word-power of sermons.
    — Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Not like brushing shoulders with Lil Baby and Lil Yachty is a musical death sentence (Veeze is still tearing it up), but for a rapper who specialized in free-flowing street sermons, that slight touch of formalism and structure depletes the vibe.
    — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 29 July 2026
Definition of sermons
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.

Browse Nearby Words

philippic
philippics
philistine
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Philippics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/philippics. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of divulge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All