dead metaphor

noun

Definition of dead metaphornext
as in code word

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dead metaphor The media are somewhat responsible, so apologies for beating a dead metaphor. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2026 This shift reminds us that dead metaphors aren’t always terminally dead. — Rob Nixon, Smithsonian, 23 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead metaphor
  1. code word
  2. euphemism
  3. analogy
  4. metaphor
  5. simile
Noun
  • Some couples and families even choose a code word that means the conversation is pausing, Wilson says—not that the relationship is disappearing.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • According to the Daily Mail, Baldoni and Swift actually communicated after the end of his dispute with Lively, and the two now share a code word when talking about the issue.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 July 2026
Definition of code word
Noun
  • Forty-one minutes later, the CFIA issued—Orwell would appreciate the agency’s flair for euphemism—a Notice to Dispose.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Orwell was exploring the roles that euphemism, tangled syntax, and dying metaphors can play in obscuring the true intentions of a totalitarian state.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of euphemism
Noun
  • This analogy is increasingly relevant to AI-conscious organizational leadership.
    — Alexandra J. Zanela, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In Wright’s analogy, the building is alive, and white paint is a killer.
    — Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of analogy
Noun
  • Kolbe’s distinctive use of language brings to life this period’s wonders and difficulties, and her maximalist approach to metaphor creates many energetic images.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The best moments on records like Redemption, Blackheart, and Second Line use her knack for grand, metaphysical metaphors to charge her singing with epic stakes.
    — Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of metaphor
Noun
  • In this way, simile and metaphor stretch beyond what’s possible to bring us closer to what’s true.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Isla’s mother, Chloe Howell, said the tween loves to crack jokes at home and came up with the funny simile herself.
    — Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of simile

Browse Nearby Words

deadly
dead metaphor
dead metaphors
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Cite this Entry

“Dead metaphor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20metaphor. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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