to word it differently
1
4.4
- phrasal verb
:
expresarlo de otra manera
- In academic writing, it's important to word it differently to avoid plagiarism and convey your unique perspective.
Examples
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He may have worded it differently in an apology, but it's pretty clear what he originally said.
Blog text (9) -
You could have worded it differently, especially the part where you basically said anyone who doesn't agree with you has bad taste.
Blog text (20) -
You might word it differently, and you may have never formalized any goal, but there is probably a goal.
Blog text (25) -
Wonder could have worded it differently or elaborated on what he meant, but I don't think what he said is all that awful.
Blog text (11) -
Perhaps I could have worded it differently the first time, and if I offended anyone, I apologize—but this happens in all branches of the service.
Blog text (6) -
If you don't feel comfortable with the wording, you can always word it differently to better express your thoughts.
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When explaining complex ideas, teachers often word it differently to help students understand better.
Synonyms
64
4.1
To say the same thing using different words to make it clearer
42
3.7
To say something again in different words to make it clearer
23
3.4
To say something again in a different, clearer way
4
3.4
Change the words of a sentence to say the same thing more clearly
1
6.7
To say something again in a clearer way
Say something again in different words
Surface Forms
Morphology
word + it + differently
The meaning 'to express the same idea using different words' is directly and compositionally derived from 'word' (to put into words) + 'it' (the thing) + 'differently' (in another way). This verb + object + manner-adverb pattern is common and parallels rephrasing constructions in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Word it differently gives a simple picture: imagine a teacher who keeps the same idea but changes the word and says it differently so the students understand. That's why it means 'to express the same idea using different words'.