as in code word
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dead metaphor
Many of our emotion terms are references to states of the body—we’re downcast, bent out of shape, head over heels, shaken up, down in the mouth—which have slowly rigidified into dead metaphor.
—
Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022
This shift reminds us that dead metaphors aren’t always terminally dead.
—Rob Nixon, Smithsonian, 23 Mar. 2018
Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022
This shift reminds us that dead metaphors aren’t always terminally dead.
—Rob Nixon, Smithsonian, 23 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead metaphor
Noun
-
The two decide to remedy that by packing four years' worth of adventure into one extremely chaotic, hilarious night, hyping each other up with compliments and providing unconditional support whenever one of them says their code word: Malala.—
Sophie Dodd,
People.com,
9 July 2025
-
Here’s a handy decoder for the code words used by flight attendants.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Carrie and Duncan have already read each other’s first chapters, which is not a euphemism … yet.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
-
No, but my aesthetic judgment had given over to its vibes, that contemporary euphemism for ultra-processed atmosphere.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
To use another football analogy, sort of like the NBA’s version of spring football.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
19 July 2025
-
The analogy might be hokey, but the sentiment makes some sense.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
16 July 2025
Noun
-
The semi-transparent curtain, moved by the wind, is a metaphor for a flexible, permeable border.—
PhotoVogue,
Vogue,
23 July 2025
-
And in that single line, the horoscope writer managed to explain symbiosis—not a metaphor at all, but an evolutionary mechanism that may be more prevalent across biology than once thought.—
Zoë Schlanger,
The Atlantic,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
What’s the difference between a simile and a metaphor?—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
-
No metaphors or similes or hyperbolic language needed here – your kids are next.—
Rob Gagnon,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dead metaphor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20metaphor. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share