bully pulpit

American  

[bool-ee pool-pit, puhl-pit] / ˈbʊl i ˈpʊl pɪt, ˈpʌl pɪt /

noun

1. a position of authority or public visibility, especially a political office, from which one may express one's views.

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Etymology

Origin of bully pulpit

First recorded in 1905–10; from a remark made by President Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the U.S. 1901–09, in reference to the White House, “I suppose my critics will call that preaching, but I have got such a bully pulpit!”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bully pulpit

“She will use the power of the bully pulpit to get what’s needed.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026

If Warsh goes quiet while his colleagues continue to give economic-outlook speeches, a kind of unilateral disarmament could take hold where the chair forfeits the bully pulpit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

Andrew Jay Schwartzman, a public interest communications attorney, said Carr is using his bully pulpit at the FCC to intimidate “a timorous broadcasting industry.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026

As an incumbent, Bass will always have the advantage of her City Hall bully pulpit, said Fernando Guerra, political science professor at Loyola Marymount University.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2026

“She’s going to have a bully pulpit, and she can talk to moms about how to care for their kids, what kind of food to give them.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025

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