as in analogy
an elaborate or fanciful way of expressing something
"it's raining cats and dogs" is just a colorful metaphor and not a meteorological announcement
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Recent Examples of metaphor
The film asks audiences whether Los Angeles is a metaphor for hell.
—
Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 17 Jan. 2025
To mix metaphors as badly as this doc overcomplicates Combs’ case by tackling the topic too early and from too many angles, this research is so disorganized that the story resembles something akin to deranged lobbyists throwing spaghetti at the wall through a shotgun.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 Jan. 2025
In the 2012 Illinois State Museum lecture, Segedin used a distinctly Chicago metaphor to describe his work.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2025
In many ways, the orchestra is the perfect metaphor for the relationship between the individual and society.
—The Learning Network, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for metaphor 
Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 17 Jan. 2025
To mix metaphors as badly as this doc overcomplicates Combs’ case by tackling the topic too early and from too many angles, this research is so disorganized that the story resembles something akin to deranged lobbyists throwing spaghetti at the wall through a shotgun.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 Jan. 2025
In the 2012 Illinois State Museum lecture, Segedin used a distinctly Chicago metaphor to describe his work.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2025
In many ways, the orchestra is the perfect metaphor for the relationship between the individual and society.
—The Learning Network, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for metaphor
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When Body Parts Are Also Verbs
Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes
Thesaurus Entries Near metaphor
Cite this Entry
“Metaphor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/metaphor. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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