1
as in slogan
an attention-getting word or phrase used to publicize something (as a campaign or product)
we knew that their claim of giving "the best deal in town" was just a shibboleth
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2
as in cliche
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
there's a lot of truth in the shibboleth that if you give some people an inch, they'll take a mile
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shibboleth
But for those who remain beholden to the shibboleths that once justified that act of national self-harm, the Times’ acknowledgment of the obvious might be valuable.
—
The Editors, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024
Musk’s willingness to upend auto manufacturing shibboleths has also forced his legacy competitors to seek new efficiencies.
—WIRED, 21 Sep. 2023
Nothing is sacrificed to the shibboleth of good taste.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
Far from being a shibboleth of evil, the company is like any other trying to turn a profit in the Western world in 2023, which comes with its own issues and frustrations separate from the ones posited by Kristof in his viral article.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for shibboleth
The Editors, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024
Musk’s willingness to upend auto manufacturing shibboleths has also forced his legacy competitors to seek new efficiencies.
—WIRED, 21 Sep. 2023
Nothing is sacrificed to the shibboleth of good taste.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
Far from being a shibboleth of evil, the company is like any other trying to turn a profit in the Western world in 2023, which comes with its own issues and frustrations separate from the ones posited by Kristof in his viral article.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for shibboleth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shibboleth
Noun
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And it won’t be fixed by a new training module or a polished slogan.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
-
Trump nominated Kennedy to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Kennedy has since continued to use the slogan for government initiatives.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
29 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
-
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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The Stars gave themselves a chance to do something special, and reaching three straight Western Conference Finals is an accomplishment, but this is a team whose mark will not feature a single banner.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 May 2025
-
Stiller will produce with and John Lesher via their Red Hour Films banner.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 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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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
-
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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As soon as the report was issued, this trope was picked up uncritically by the news media, before the report’s citation errors were discovered.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
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The book is a dark fantasy novel that draws from classic horror tropes.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
2 June 2025
Noun
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Luxury scented candles, like room sprays for that matter, have the power to elevate any moment: taking it from commonplace to utterly indulgent.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
26 Mar. 2025
-
The Grand Ole Opry House holds 4,400 people, but can’t accommodate standing-room tours, a commonplace in genres like EDM and hip-hop.—
Matthew Leimkuehler,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shibboleth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shibboleth. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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