1
as in sermon
a public speech usually by a member of the clergy for the purpose of giving moral guidance or uplift
last Sunday's homily was about being kind to your neighbors
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2
as in cliche
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
a TV movie filled with the usual hokey homilies about people triumphing over life's adversities
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Recent Examples of homily
But in his first homily on Friday since being made leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo highlighted the church’s fight against rising atheism.
—
Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2025
Leo opened his homily with a few words in English addressing the cardinals and delivered the rest in Italian.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 9 May 2025
The coming days are for celebration; Leo’s name will be uttered in homilies and Masses across the Roman Catholic world, and will spark particularly joyous scenes in his home country, where one in five adults identifies as Catholic.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
In homilies, public and private conversations, and most of all in remarks to their fellow cardinals in daily meetings behind the Vatican walls, the people who will choose the next pope have been holding what amounts to a referendum on Francis’ legacy.
—Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for homily
Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2025
Leo opened his homily with a few words in English addressing the cardinals and delivered the rest in Italian.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 9 May 2025
The coming days are for celebration; Leo’s name will be uttered in homilies and Masses across the Roman Catholic world, and will spark particularly joyous scenes in his home country, where one in five adults identifies as Catholic.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
In homilies, public and private conversations, and most of all in remarks to their fellow cardinals in daily meetings behind the Vatican walls, the people who will choose the next pope have been holding what amounts to a referendum on Francis’ legacy.
—Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for homily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for homily
Noun
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The volunteers then sat in the basement of Marsh Chapel, at Boston University, and listened to a Good Friday sermon piped in from the pulpit above them.—
Michael Pollan,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
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They were required to work late hours, pray late into the evening and to wake up early to worship during church sermons that went on for hours, prosecutors wrote in the indictment.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2025
Noun
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So at least in her case, the Wild West cliches hold pretty true.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
30 May 2025
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Nonetheless, there is a satisfying, compact completeness to their handling of the storylines of four different young mothers and sufficient grace notes are enabled in each case to stave off the cliches that occasionally threaten to engulf events.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Historically, these White House sit-downs were dull affairs, replete with grip-and-grin platitudes and geopolitical jargon.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
22 May 2025
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The lyrics, also Thurber’s, reiterate the kinds of platitudes found in Goddess’s book.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
21 May 2025
Noun
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But behind such vague bromides are specific national qualities that social scientists can identify and measure.—
Michael J. Mazarr,
Foreign Affairs,
21 June 2022
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The teenage Miller invited Horowitz to speak at Santa Monica High School in the early aughts, entranced by his bromides against multiculturalism.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2025
Noun
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In a video interview, James spoke about her favorite ax murderers, the banality of chain saws and Paul Bunyan.—
Sadie Stein,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
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Despite—or maybe because of—its willingness to court banality, Childish Literature feels much fresher.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
23 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Adding witty sayings to the leaves of handheld fans, Knighten wanted to make a statement with her products in a fun and unique way.—
Ruth Etiesit Samuel,
Essence,
4 June 2025
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As the saying goes, out with the old, in with the new.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Bear in mind the truism that stock markets can always go down as well as up.—
Dr. Ronald Premuroso,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
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According to Joyce, however, this truism depicts both Bloomsbury and the Victorians as monoliths and prevents a nuanced understanding of the complex ways Bloomsbury engaged with its Victorian past.—
Jenny Noyce,
JSTOR Daily,
14 May 2025
Noun
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According to an ancient Neapolitan proverb, ‘More things happen in a day than in an entire century’.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2025
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To butcher a proverb, if Bielsa is for you, who in that corner of England could possibly be against you?—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Homily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homily. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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