as in proverb
an often stated observation regarding something from common experience
Benjamin Franklin's famous epigram, "Remember that time is money"
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of epigram
By greatly expanding the dimensions of his images, with their muted palettes, tight cropping, found symmetries, and laconic wit, had the maestro of the photographic epigram betrayed his subtractive aesthetic?
—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Johnson is the author of the epigrams, but Boswell is very much the co-author.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
Holmes’ feed is a babbling stream of self-help epigrams, ankle-deep reflections and many, many photos of herself.
—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
10 Dec. 2025
That celebrated epigram is delivered by the character of Octave, who is the greatest creation of Renoir’s career—not least because he’s played by Renoir in a performance that’s essentially a self-portrait, even an onscreen self-creation.
—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 July 2025
It’s been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story.
—
Jann E. Freed,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Her poems of that era — sonnets, epigrams, eminently quotable snippets of rhymed gossip — pulse with the dynamism and attitude of the modern city.
—
A.o. Scott,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Throughout, Snook hams for laughs, turning Wilde’s witticisms and epigrams into slapstick.
—
Christian Lewis,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Johnson is the author of the epigrams, but Boswell is very much the co-author.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
Holmes’ feed is a babbling stream of self-help epigrams, ankle-deep reflections and many, many photos of herself.
—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
10 Dec. 2025
That celebrated epigram is delivered by the character of Octave, who is the greatest creation of Renoir’s career—not least because he’s played by Renoir in a performance that’s essentially a self-portrait, even an onscreen self-creation.
—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 July 2025
It’s been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story.
—
Jann E. Freed,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Her poems of that era — sonnets, epigrams, eminently quotable snippets of rhymed gossip — pulse with the dynamism and attitude of the modern city.
—
A.o. Scott,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Throughout, Snook hams for laughs, turning Wilde’s witticisms and epigrams into slapstick.
—
Christian Lewis,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epigram
Noun
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The reason can be explained by a Japanese proverb about the importance of leaving no mess.
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Popeye the Sailor Man has been guzzling spinach since 1931 to build muscle, while the apple-a-day advice derives from a 19th-century Welsh proverb.
Noun
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One popular saying suggests a knot tied on a rainy day is harder to untie.
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But your abhorrence of the outcomes of particular elections doesn’t justify your saying, Well, the hell with that.
Noun
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When word spread that Swift attended Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley's 2023 wedding on the New Jersey shore, hundreds of fans and photographers descended on the quiet beach community.
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Review a bill, then send a polite message that clarifies terms, because simple words protect value and invite respectful responses.
Noun
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In romance, Tolstoy’s aphorism about the family is reversed.
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The statement is one among many hard-hitting aphorisms that ring devastatingly true for the state of our current world, as late-stage capitalism widens the gap between haves and have-nots, creating unsustainable conditions for millions of people.
Cite this Entry
“Epigram.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epigram. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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