portmanteau

Wall Street loves an ugly portmanteau, or jamming together of two words in a way that sows confusion, followed closely by dislike.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

In 2002, Cinespia — an Italian portmanteau for “movie theater” and “cinema spy” — screened Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train” at the cemetery for members of Wyatt’s film club, which he ran with Richard Petit.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

Some call themselves healthmaxxers – sharing tips on what to eat and working out, while others identify as looksmaxxers, a portmanteau for 'looks maximising', where the aim is to totally "optimise" one's physical appearance.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026

SaaSpocalypse is the portmanteau combining the acronym for software-as-a-service, SaaS, with apocalypse.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 24, 2026

“Ah, yes, the portmanteau call, as you say in England.”

From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie

The grammar of German means that it is a language in many ways uniquely suited to combining existing words to make longer but highly specific portmanteaus.

From Slate ● Feb. 25, 2025

The goofiest of these portmanteaus, and one of the more enduring, involved the carryall.

From New York Times ● Nov. 8, 2021

In that first iteration, the anonymous writer explained “hatriot” in almost bemused terms as just one then recent example of portmanteaus like “Republocrat”.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 7, 2019

Fusion words, or as Lewis Carroll called them, portmanteaus, are words that squish together portions of two separate words to create a single word with a new, combined meaning.

From Time ● Apr. 24, 2014

But Maynard was no romantic dreamer; and complying with his fellow-traveller’s request, he descended to the state-room to look after the disposal of their portmanteaus.

From The Child Wife by Mayne Reid

Why, father, do you think I am married and drag about boxes and portmanteaux with me?

From More Tales by Polish Authors by Various

She looked at the two portmanteaux and considered how they could be moved out of the way.

From The Outcaste by F. E. Penny

"I daresay I shall be able to do all you require, without feeling it any extra trouble, unless you are very helpless," said Mrs. Doddery, who was on her knees unstrapping one of the portmanteaux.

From Vixen, Volume III. by M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon

He had apparently arranged for the transmission of his luggage, inasmuch as the portmanteaux, three in number, were taken on by the coach when that indispensable vehicle arrived in due course.

From The Crooked Stick or Pollies's Probation by Rolf Boldrewood

In fact, it was quite a carriage-ful of us that steamed away north-west from Paddington—namely, Smith, myself, Smith's father and mother, my father and mother, a number of boxes, portmanteaux, and parcels, and Smith's sister.

From Fifty-Two Stories For Girls by Alfred H. (Alfred Henry) Miles