1
as in sermons
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in platitudes
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of homilies
No lectures, no homilies, no empty words.
—
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
In his fiery homilies, the Monsignor seems to target one new congregation member per week, pushing for the victory of a walkout.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
In his fiery homilies, the Monsignor seems to target one new congregation member per week, pushing for the victory of a walkout.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for homilies
Noun
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This was evident in the themes of his sermons.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Friday prayer leaders often deliver sermons aligned with government messaging.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But for UConn, the platitudes feel profoundly honest.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
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Donovan reiterated a series of platitudes that haven’t changed during his time with the Bulls.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Countless sayings have likened friends to our most precious commodities—safety, home, even precious metals—for good reason.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
31 Mar. 2026
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Blue-and-white minibuses, inscribed with misspelt movie quotes and popular local sayings, snaked through the congestion on the narrow road in front of them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In Cuba today, Marxist bromides serve as nothing more than rhetorical cover for corruption.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
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Despite their clear affection for these women, the Dardenne brothers never sugarcoat their characters’ unenviable circumstance or latch onto phony bromides to alleviate our anxiety.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For nine months, Erasmus spent his short nights in a modest dorm and his long days in the print shop, expanding on his collection of proverbs Adagiorum chiliades while Aldus proofread, craftsman carefully laying sets of print and rolling paper through the press.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Nov. 2025
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Includes quirky facts, adages, advice, quotes and proverbs, as well as articles about mistletoe, bird nests, perennials, timekeeping, recipes and more.—
Alex Perry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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As far back as the Victorian era, exchanging a few banalities was part of a veritable social code—a way of signaling both politeness and boundaries.—
Jeanne Ballion,
Vogue,
27 Dec. 2025
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Written by Noah Oppenheim, Bigelow’s real-time thriller about the banalities and actualities of a fictional-in-premise-only nuclear attack on the United States is Netflix’s best horse in the race at the Oscars this year.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The play isn’t subtle; the final sequence leans hard on truisms about addiction and trauma, which are affecting but overly explicit.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
20 Feb. 2026
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One of the truisms in the past for Team Canada at some best-on-best events is needing a few games to find its game.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Steeped in international cinema, Haghighi has since taken familiar tropes, forms, and genres and bent them in new directions.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Episode 1, for example, comes over as a political thriller with horror tropes where Prime Minister Adolfo Saúrez battles in 1976 to persuade – or bribe – a Francoist parliament to vote itself out of existence.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Homilies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homilies. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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