as in code word
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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
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Prudent families can also come up with a code word to use in an emergency which a scammer will never know.—
Steve Weisman,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
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Finally, the correct authenticator code word matched what was in my hands.—
Steve Koester,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The phrase is typically a euphemism for leaving discreetly, often to use the restroom.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
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After sixteen months of watching a genocide happen in real time—with more-or-less total support from Western governments, despite the euphemisms and justifications skillfully woven by headlines and political speeches—the contradiction is becoming harder to ignore.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This divine/human analogy, recalling La vie de Jésus, is a splendidly esoteric conceit.—
Armond White,
National Review,
14 Mar. 2025
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An analogy that resonates with me is that of a boy raised by a single mother.—
Ben Gebremeskel,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
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There’s something about the craft elements in the artistry of filmmaking that allows for metaphor in a way that can relate stories and ideas.—
Matt Minton,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2025
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Through vivid metaphors, Dende paints a picture of unwavering devotion, comparing his connection to his partner to classic, inseparable duos.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Her father was a scientist and worked for NASA, so her work, including The Body’s Question and Life on Mars, is infused with the cosmos and space and all these metaphors and similes tied to the most mysterious places in the universe.—
Lisa Wong Macabasco,
Vogue,
22 Feb. 2025
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Fight analyst Dan Hardy used an interesting simile to explain the key difference between the two title fighters in Saturday night's main event at UFC 312 as middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis puts his title on the line against former champion Sean Strickland.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to dead metaphor
Cite this Entry
“Dead metaphor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20metaphor. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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