as in cliché
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
"blondes have more fun" is a silly platitude
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of platitude
This was an Alysa Liu celebration in Oakland, so a parade of stiff speakers and flowery platitudes would not suffice.
—
Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Mar. 2026
Well, Texas is good on offense and little else, and to his credit Miller isn't hiding behind platitudes about where this thing can go one day or what must happen over these next few weeks.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 9 Mar. 2026
Li shook hands with Whitmarsh and exchanged platitudes with the other guests.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026
The gap between $0 and $600 million makes his observation harder to dismiss as a platitude.
—Ryan Brennan
march 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for platitude
Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Mar. 2026
Well, Texas is good on offense and little else, and to his credit Miller isn't hiding behind platitudes about where this thing can go one day or what must happen over these next few weeks.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 9 Mar. 2026
Li shook hands with Whitmarsh and exchanged platitudes with the other guests.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026
The gap between $0 and $600 million makes his observation harder to dismiss as a platitude.
—Ryan Brennan
march 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for platitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for platitude
Noun
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But, travel experts say, that truism doesn't apply during this tumultuous period.—
ANDREA SACHS THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
29 Mar. 2026
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That is a truism of NFL free agency.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The bromide has it that a liberal is a person who won’t take his own side in an argument.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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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
Noun
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The banality of her words about Ma Binney was terrible.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
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The scale and range of Dominique Pelicot’s partners in crime showed the terrible banality of their acts, and how easily society had allowed them.—
Gaby Wood,
Vogue,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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By the time Szeemann was invited to organize two consecutive installments of the Venice Biennale (in 1999 and 2001), the criticism of curators’ assuming the role of meta-artists, in Szeemann’s case with quasi-shamanistic aspirations, had become a commonplace.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
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But little things can turn the commonplace into tragedy.—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 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
Noun
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The decal features a common saying in intelligence circles.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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More than a saying, pura vida is a guiding philosophy that honors simplicity and sustainability, and celebrates the deep-rooted connection between people and their environment.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Platitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/platitude. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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