as in saying
an often stated observation regarding something from common experience
her grandfather has a proverb for every occasion
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of proverb
As the Chinese proverb suggests, U.S. tariffs aimed at Beijing have tested diplomacy and strategy between the two largest world economies.
—
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2025
According to an ancient Neapolitan proverb, ‘More things happen in a day than in an entire century’.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2025
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
This powerful African proverb reminds us that a community of caring individuals—be it relatives, friends, or community members—plays a vital role in raising a child.
—Ronny Maye, Essence, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for proverb
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2025
According to an ancient Neapolitan proverb, ‘More things happen in a day than in an entire century’.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2025
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
This powerful African proverb reminds us that a community of caring individuals—be it relatives, friends, or community members—plays a vital role in raising a child.
—Ronny Maye, Essence, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for proverb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proverb
Noun
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Never is a long time, and words can be meaningless, as the saying goes.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
21 July 2025
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Now, the saying will help the Heart community share and continue her legacy.—
Abby Roedel,
People.com,
19 July 2025
Noun
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By the time our department chief got word that there had been a mass shooting at PittFest, his senior resident was incommunicado.—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
15 July 2025
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That same night, students got word that the nearby Bee Tree dam was breaching, an event that might have overwhelmed the campus with water.—
Jessica Pishko,
New Yorker,
15 July 2025
Noun
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Keeping with that maxim, McNally begins with his suicide attempt in 2018 on the heels of a debilitating stroke.—
Sean Woods,
Rolling Stone,
24 May 2025
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Kennedy’s views of individual ingredients oscillate between commonsense dietary maxims and conspiratorial musings.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
23 June 2025
Noun
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Attorney General Pam Bondi apparently never heard the adage about under-promising and over-delivering.—
The Editors,
National Review,
16 July 2025
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The old adage goes: Where there is smoke, there is fire.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
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The conceit and self-involvement of Isabella’s brother John is also dispatched effectively, not with aphorism but with his own words.—
Adelle Waldman,
New Yorker,
31 May 2025
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His announcement was greeted with surprise and then minutes of thundering applause from shareholders — many of whom became millionaires by owning Berkshire stock and hang onto his every financial aphorism.—
Michael J. de la Merced,
New York Times,
4 May 2025
Noun
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Kotb's work motto, written on an office wall, alludes to the names of her daughters.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 July 2025
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And as time went on, more people — fans, media, announcers — latched on to the motto, using it as a taunt when the opportunity arose.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Proverb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proverb. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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