as in proverb
a short sentence or phrase that expresses a rule guiding the behavior of a particular person or group
"Hope for the best and prepare for the worst" is my motto. The Scout motto is "Be prepared."
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Recent Examples of motto
Being overlooked or given up on in life is damn near the team motto.
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Nick Baumgardner, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
Every state has a flag, of course, and also a motto.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2024
The motto Sanders recited as a player is now emblazoned in white and gold on a garage-like door at the university’s facility in Boulder.
—Emmanuel Morgan, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
The women’s team’s players have devised their own motto with the help of a psychologist.
—Charlotte Harpur, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for motto 
Nick Baumgardner, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
Every state has a flag, of course, and also a motto.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2024
The motto Sanders recited as a player is now emblazoned in white and gold on a garage-like door at the university’s facility in Boulder.
—Emmanuel Morgan, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
The women’s team’s players have devised their own motto with the help of a psychologist.
—Charlotte Harpur, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for motto
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motto
Noun
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But remember, where there’s fire, there’s smoke, which may be a reversal of the standard proverb but is highly relevant here.Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
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To paraphrase an old proverb, the best time to connect the fights for trans and reproductive rights was decades ago.Colleen Hamilton, Them, 4 Dec. 2024
Noun
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What’s Great About It Water quickly evaporates from the surface Low maintenance Elevated appearance What Could Be Better Grooves can trip you up As the saying goes, out with the old and in with the new.Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 10 Jan. 2025
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As the saying goes, ‘if Santa Claus should fail to call, bears may come to broad and wall’.Jesse Pound,Sarah Min, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Arched across the top were the words Justin Carr Wants World Peace.Billy Witz, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
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Bill Burns has spent much of his nearly four-decade career in government arguing about words.Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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This maxim holds just as true in cyber security as in sports.Phillimon Zongo, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
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There’s the old maxim that country music more than any other genre is about storytelling.Chris Willman, Variety, 5 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Sports and music are both proof points and beneficiaries of this axiom.Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
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Those who forget history, the old axiom posits, are doomed to repeat it.Ilan Berman, Foreign Affairs, 24 Apr. 2016
Noun
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In alluding to history without providing a secure narrative, the installations put the visitor in the position of the historian, wading through the available records and trying to construct some plausible version of truth out of the many interpretive possibilities.Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 10 Jan. 2025
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Communicate and practice the plan across the organization to ensure maximum readiness at the moment of truth.David Wajsgras, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near motto
Cite this Entry
“Motto.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motto. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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