talking 1 of 3

adjective

as in speaking

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talking

2 of 3

noun

as in communication

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talking

3 of 3

verb

present participle of talk
1
as in lecturing
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject the fire chief often talks at school assemblies about fire safety

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2
as in chatting
to engage in casual or rambling conversation talked with our neighbor as we unloaded the groceries from the car

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3
as in saying
to express (a thought or emotion) in words you're talking nonsense: take a minute and think about what you are trying to say, and then start speaking

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4
as in informing
to give information (as to the authorities) about another's improper or unlawful activities after being threatened, the eyewitness started talking at length about what he had seen in the alley

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5
as in gossiping
to relate sometimes questionable or secret information of a personal nature you're a fine one to talk about your sister's marital problems when you have had plenty of your own

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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 talking
Noun
The actress and her styling team let the dress do the talking and paired it with the minimalist Paris Texas Lidia Mules in metallic silver. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 The show is one of the big talking points at the MIPCOM international TV market in Cannes this year, where stars Amell and Nader are promoting. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026 The first half focuses on the early entrepreneurial years, deftly incorporating archival footage with the usual talking heads. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 Oct. 2026 The idea that menopause care can be improved through smart public policy measures is such a major talking point largely because of Weiss-Wolf. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 7 Oct. 2026 In both cases, the media played a critical role in shaping public opinion by framing, by omission, by repetition of official talking points, and by an overall failure to include dissenting voices or the perspectives of those most impacted. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026 Following the operation, Dasha will be on complete vocal rest — absolutely no talking allowed — for two weeks, then will begin vocal rehab to learn how to talk and sing properly a few weeks later. — Melinda Newman, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2026 The positive talking point will be that the defense still held the Dolphins to 10 points, but I was left questioning what a better quarterback and team might be capable of. — Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026 Some might say this was an effort to dismiss a Republican talking point designed to rile up the GOP base. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
That level of pure confidence while talking to the person with cold, hard footage is what makes Lisa Barlow the perfect Real Housewife. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026 There are so many more interesting things than listening to a bunch of Flock employees talking on a wireless microphone with radio. — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2026 To this day, there are white club kids in New York who are in the club talking in black-ccents and wearing imitations of black people’s hairstyles. — Suzy Exposito, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 In a news release, police said that 25-year-old Baldwin Park resident Juan Carlos Amaya contacted the teenage girl via Snapchat and began talking to her while pretending to be 17 years old. — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 Being able to have the in-person connectivity with talking to your coworkers, being able to collaborate, is great and then also the larger programming of the company as a whole. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 By then, despite the predictions, Callum was walking and talking. — Deepa Fernandes, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026 Staying connected to a community also is key, Stearns said, whether that’s meeting friends in person, talking on the phone or participating in online support groups. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 Walking and talking with an AI fellow pilgrim Which brings me back to the Kumano Kodo in Japan, where contemplation is a key element of the traditional experience. — Shay Rabineau, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for talking
  1. speaking
  2. lecturing
  3. chatting
  4. saying
  5. informing
  6. gossiping
  7. communicative
  8. conversing
Adjective
  • Parents and caregivers of intellectually disabled or non-speaking autistic people sometimes argue that neurodivergent self-advocates with low support needs can’t speak for those with disabilities that affect their daily lives in more profound ways.
    — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Eun-sae, who has heard Tae-ha speaking Korean, speeds up on her motorbike to whisk Tae-ha away from danger.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of speaking
Verb
  • For decades, Zinn traveled the country lecturing to packed auditoriums.
    — Barbara Spindel, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The bald guy lecturing me on how to get the money looked real enough, but the question of his true being kept rattling around my increasingly paranoid mind.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of lecturing
Verb
  • Times columnists Gustavo Arellano, Steve Lopez and Lorraine Ali are chatting about Tuesday night’s Los Angeles mayoral debate between Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The challenge will include multiple phases, including a concept design, concept refinement after chatting with reviewers, and then a final selection.
    — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of chatting
Verb
  • Sandrich also spoke about the importance of audiences seeing themselves reflected on screen, saying that the series’ commitment to authentic casting extended to changing a character’s gender to get the casting right.
    — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, officers are pushing back, saying the cuts will hurt public safety.
    — Veronica Macias, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of saying
Verb
  • The White House press office sent letters to the news organizations on September 22, informing them of the reasons and their ability to contest the action, but that was four days after the ban was implemented.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Even her good friend Gizelle knew, and chose to gossip with Ashley instead of privately informing Tia off camera.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of informing
Verb
  • The two women start to hang out again like college pals, gossiping and hip-hip dancing and — always – splitting a bottle of white wine.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Hollywood is gossiping that her current paramour Scooter Braun looks like her past fiancé — Jonathan Davino.
    — Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of gossiping
Adjective
  • Through the administration’s embrace (and extensive personal leveraging) of crypto’s potential, crypto and retail speculation are increasingly being woven into the fabric of communicative and cultural spaces.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The arrival ceremony suggested that others understood the communicative potential of clothes at such an event, too.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of communicative
Verb
  • Mexican security forces, both military and police, were also observed conversing with Border Patrol agents over the international boundary.
    — Ryan Devereaux, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2026
  • In a demo, OpenAI also showed someone conversing with a dot through a phone call.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of conversing

Phrases Containing talking

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talkiness
talking
talking a blue streak
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Cite this Entry

“Talking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talking. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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