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
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Dylan notices the slogan and examines the poster to find that Irv hid his drawing of the Exports Hall, with detailed instructions on how to get there written on the back, behind it.—
Megan McCluskey,
TIME,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Since 2025 began, Elon Musk has registered his enthusiastic support for Alternative for Germany (AfD), a far-right political party notorious for its use of Nazi-era slogans and imagery.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Ditch the cliches to accelerate intimacy in new creative ways, like incorporating sensory experiences.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
14 Feb. 2025
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All those cliches about teamwork and belief and optimism?—
Jon Wertheim,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Anderson produced the feature via his American Empirical Pictures banner.—
Aaron Couch,
The Hollywood Reporter,
11 Feb. 2025
-
It’s been a banner few months for the British marque.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The other truisms included creating a feeling that there was activity in the office and connecting workers by having sightlines of visibility throughout.—
Anna Butler,
Boston Herald,
18 Aug. 2024
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This has been a truism around the Bulls since the organization drafted him in 2020.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Typically, the focus is on court operations and budget — the number of cases handled, number of cases resolved, and so on — with occasional platitudes about access to justice.—
Steve Zeidman,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2025
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Many of their remarks were vague and filled with typical management platitudes, but below are some of the snippets of conversation that caught my attention over two days of schmoozing with watch executives employed by one of the most powerful groups in the industry.—
Victoria Gomelsky,
Robb Report,
29 Jan. 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
-
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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Thompson, Ha and Brownell also say that Season 4 will dive much more into the Regency era’s upstairs-downstairs class politics than previous seasons, due to Sophie being of a lower class than Benedict and the Bridgerton family, as well as the fairytale and forbidden love tropes.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2025
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Du Maurier makes good use of many of the usual tropes of the Gothic genre, especially uncanny doubling: Relentlessly and unfavorably compared to the Manderley estate’s bewitching former mistress, the nameless narrator is pushed to the brink of sanity by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers.—
M.L. Rio,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Jakins won but was accused of using a steel chestnut to defeat his opponents.—
Ryan Gaydos,
Fox News,
16 Oct. 2024
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Dishes like a roast chicken presented over a spiced bulgar pilaf with raisins and chestnuts, or eggplants broiled tender with pomegranate and yogurt sauce demonstrate Roden’s expert mixing of traditional and modern.—
Wilder Davies,
Bon Appétit,
30 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Shibboleth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shibboleth. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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