<![CDATA[Online news headlines convey information while emphasizing selected aspects of an event through lexical choices. This study describes forms of connotative meaning and their rhetorical functions in Radar Lampung headlines. It uses a descriptive qualitative method with a semantic approach. The corpus comprises 12 headlines published between 5 March and 2 September 2026 and collected in September 2026. Twelve data records were documented; one record contains two expressions, resulting in 13 occurrences of connotative forms. Data were collected through documentation and note-taking. The analysis compared lexical meanings, checked against KBBI VI Daring, with meanings in the headlines and accompanying articles, then grouped rhetorical functions according to recurring patterns. The expressions identified were genjot, buka suara, angkat suara, angkat tangan, lempar ultimatum, mengepung, and bayang-bayang. Genjot intensifies the representation of action; buka suara foregrounds a response or clarification; angkat suara emphasizes a stance; angkat tangan conveys inability; lempar ultimatum signals a strong warning; and mengepung and bayang-bayang evoke intensity and threat. The findings indicate that connotative functions should be interpreted in relation to news context rather than inferred from figurative appearance alone. The study examines linguistic functions in texts and does not measure actual reader responses. ]]>
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