mouth the words
The phrase 'mouth the words' can refer to either silent speech or insincere expression, depending on the context.
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Definition
B2General
(informal)To move the lips to form words without producing any sound.
Example
- During the play, she mouthed the words along with the actors.
- He mouthed the words to the song, not wanting to disturb others.
B2Communication
(idiomatic)To speak without genuine feeling or sincerity.
Example
- She mouthed the words of apology, but it was clear she didn't mean it.
- He mouthed the words of agreement, though his actions showed otherwise.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "mouth the words":
mouth offhave wordsput words in someone's mouthgive tongueread someone's lipswash one's mouth outwatch one's mouthswallow one's wordsbig mouthmouth harp