code word
Americannoun
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a euphemistic or politically acceptable catchword or phrase used instead of a blunter or less acceptable term.
The official report said the diplomats had a “frank and serious discussion”—code words for “angry argument.”
Etymology
Origin of code word
First recorded in 1880–85
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There’s a simple solution to this high-tech problem: a code word.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2025
And when you talk about productivity, it’s almost like a code word for cost-cutting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025
North wants to remind parents and teachers that every generation has their secret code word.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2025
The court heard that 'car' was their code word for gold.
From BBC ● May 19, 2025
“Hey, maybe she really is Chip’s birth mother. Or—or mine. Maybe that’s what witnesses really meant. Like, it’s a code word or something.”
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
