1
as in slogan
an attention-getting word or phrase used to publicize something (as a campaign or product)
we knew that their claim of giving "the best deal in town" was just a shibboleth
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2
as in cliche
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
there's a lot of truth in the shibboleth that if you give some people an inch, they'll take a mile
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shibboleth
But for those who remain beholden to the shibboleths that once justified that act of national self-harm, the Times’ acknowledgment of the obvious might be valuable.
—
The Editors, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024
Musk’s willingness to upend auto manufacturing shibboleths has also forced his legacy competitors to seek new efficiencies.
—WIRED, 21 Sep. 2023
Nothing is sacrificed to the shibboleth of good taste.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
Far from being a shibboleth of evil, the company is like any other trying to turn a profit in the Western world in 2023, which comes with its own issues and frustrations separate from the ones posited by Kristof in his viral article.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for shibboleth
The Editors, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024
Musk’s willingness to upend auto manufacturing shibboleths has also forced his legacy competitors to seek new efficiencies.
—WIRED, 21 Sep. 2023
Nothing is sacrificed to the shibboleth of good taste.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
Far from being a shibboleth of evil, the company is like any other trying to turn a profit in the Western world in 2023, which comes with its own issues and frustrations separate from the ones posited by Kristof in his viral article.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for shibboleth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shibboleth
Noun
-
Real progress doesn’t come from pink branding, catchy slogans, pledges, or one-day campaigns.—
Shelley Zalis,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
-
That decades-old advertising slogan succinctly captures the brand promise of the sui generis American business that marks its 80th anniversary this year.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Many of the cliches about this compact, one-club city hold true.—
George Caulkin,
The Athletic,
13 Mar. 2025
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But my money’s on Baker, one of the world’s finest filmmakers who tells stories about characters Hollywood so often turns into cliches and leaves behind.—
Randy Myers,
The Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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With no streamer or network picking it up, the film found a home with Tom Ortenberg’s theatrical banner Briarcliff Entertainment.—
Steven Zeitchik,
The Hollywood Reporter,
19 Mar. 2025
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People gathered later Wednesday near Istanbul’s police headquarters, carrying posters of the mayor and banners with his photo around their shoulders.—
Mehmet Guzel and Suzan Fraser,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Murphy is now closing in on 200 senior appearances for Newcastle which isn’t bad, all things considered, and the last blissful month has only served to reinforce an old truism that the best teams are not always formed of the players who glitter most.—
George Caulkin,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
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This truism sits at the very heart of Republicans' fight over a grand budget deal.—
Axios,
Axios,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The film follows an ensemble of campers who are weary of platitudes about grief, and speak to one another from a place of radical honesty that is by turns heartbreaking and darkly hilarious, embracing irreverent humor as a cathartic means of self-expression.—
Addie Morfoot,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2025
-
The members simply rounded up the usual suspects of platitudes.—
Vincent Turley,
Hartford Courant,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The two-dimensional characters communicate in bromides; Lena’s fellow privates, who suffer from the laziest defining characteristics (coarse Southern gal, proper preacher’s daughter, New Yorker), are the worst offenders.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
6 Dec. 2024
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In place of triumph-of-the-human-spirit bromides, though, what the book delivers is its own kind of cinema, harsh and true.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
8 July 2024
Noun
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As quickly as the Oakland Parks Department paints over these hateful tropes, fresh ones appear.—
Mark Cohen,
The Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2025
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Blood Typers also makes use of a lot of the familiar survival-horror game tropes for increasing that tension, including strict limits on ammunition and inventory space.—
Eric Berger,
Ars Technica,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Light and enticing mid palate with flavors of maple syrup, chestnuts, mint and jerky.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
-
Street vendors hawked goods displayed on blankets spread on the sidewalk and sold steaming hot chestnuts from carts.—
James Barron,
New York Times,
10 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to shibboleth
Cite this Entry
“Shibboleth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shibboleth. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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