proverbial
adjective
pro·ver·bi·al
prə-ˈvər-bē-əl 
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a proverb
2
: that has become a proverb or byword : commonly spoken of
the proverbial smoking gun
Examples of proverbial in a Sentence
Insanity roamed through her large midwestern tribe, cloistered in proverbial dark closets in gabled houses in areas of the country where no one else lived for miles and miles …
—
Lynne Tillman, Motion Sickness, 1991
I keep running across people who speak fondly about what they imagine to be the comforts of autocracy, who long for the assurances of the proverbial man on the white horse likely to do something hard and puritanical about the moral relativism that has made a mess of the cities, the schools, and prime-time television.
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, November 1990
Lynne Tillman, Motion Sickness, 1991
I keep running across people who speak fondly about what they imagine to be the comforts of autocracy, who long for the assurances of the proverbial man on the white horse likely to do something hard and puritanical about the moral relativism that has made a mess of the cities, the schools, and prime-time television.
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, November 1990
Recent Examples on the Web
Running Point is that story, so here’s hoping Netflix gives Kaling the chance to take this proverbial ball and run with it.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 27 Feb. 2025
Do leaders in the traditional pro sport, intercollegiate or Olympic mindsets need to explore which blinders are shielding them from seeing around the proverbial corner?
—John Cairney, Sportico.com, 27 Feb. 2025
Lawyers wear a proverbial suit of armor and can view asking for help as a weakness.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
General manager Chris Grier also should consider himself on the proverbial hot seat entering his 10th season as GM with three playoff appearances and zero postseason wins.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proverbial
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Judy Berman, TIME, 27 Feb. 2025
Do leaders in the traditional pro sport, intercollegiate or Olympic mindsets need to explore which blinders are shielding them from seeing around the proverbial corner?
—John Cairney, Sportico.com, 27 Feb. 2025
Lawyers wear a proverbial suit of armor and can view asking for help as a weakness.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
General manager Chris Grier also should consider himself on the proverbial hot seat entering his 10th season as GM with three playoff appearances and zero postseason wins.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proverbial
Cite this Entry
“Proverbial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proverbial. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
proverbial
adjective
pro·ver·bi·al
prə-ˈvər-bē-əl
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a proverb
proverbial wisdom
2
: commonly spoken of
the proverbial beginner's luck
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