1
as in sermon
a public speech usually by a member of the clergy for the purpose of giving moral guidance or uplift
last Sunday's homily was about being kind to your neighbors
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2
as in cliche
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
a TV movie filled with the usual hokey homilies about people triumphing over life's adversities
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of homily
The Mass was in Latin, but the homilies were in their own languages, delivered by pastors who shared their heritage.
—
Geraldo Cadava, New Yorker, 22 May 2025
Homily — Leo delivers his homily in Italian, possibly previewing his vision for the church.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 18 May 2025
It could be argued that prioritizing joint-ventures over human-rights homilies cedes soft power to Beijing.
—Guney Yildiz, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
In his fiery homilies, the Monsignor seems to target one new congregation member per week, pushing for the victory of a walkout.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for homily
Geraldo Cadava, New Yorker, 22 May 2025
Homily — Leo delivers his homily in Italian, possibly previewing his vision for the church.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 18 May 2025
It could be argued that prioritizing joint-ventures over human-rights homilies cedes soft power to Beijing.
—Guney Yildiz, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
In his fiery homilies, the Monsignor seems to target one new congregation member per week, pushing for the victory of a walkout.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for homily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for homily
Noun
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With the colonies on the brink of collapse, the Reverend George Whitefield ignites the first Great Awakening, uniting an entire generation with his thundering and faithful sermons and proclamations of liberty.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
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Crashing into Grattan’s church as the reverend delivers a pseudoscientific sermon about a looming apocalypse, Rafferty gives Grattan his own taste of what the end of the world might look like by choking him with an eel.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Mentality is the critical factor here because, as the cliche goes, the defining feature of any champion team is securing victory in the face of adversity or underperformance.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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The same was true of the Dutch squad, and such situations have become something of a World Cup cliche, but in 1974 this was considered novel, and a sign that the sport had become overrun by financial interests, even at international level.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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My first true attempts at poetry were self-guided, painfully rhymed, drenched in abstractions and exhausted platitudes.—
Via Scribner,
Literary Hub,
6 Oct. 2025
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His answers, typically, differ by just a few words and a few platitudes.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There is an outright rejection of bromides that would give us some conclusion of reassurance.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Blood testing showed a bromide level that was hundreds of times above normal.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This punishing process, thread by thread, inch by inch, keeps luridness from sinking into banality.—
Jerry Saltz,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
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Written by Noah Oppenheim, Bigelow’s real-time thriller about the banalities and actualities of a fictional-in-premise-only nuclear attack on the United States is Netflix’s best horse in the race at the Oscars this year.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The architect of the Phillies has a saying.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Little sayings like that get you through the rough patches.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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One ironclad truism about sports is that all streaks eventually come to an end.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
2 Oct. 2025
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Vance and Miller spoke as if this were a truism.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
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On the other hand, perhaps this is one of those rare and unforeseen opportunities that give rise to the proverb of no guts, no glory.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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For centuries, the proverb has reminded us that seeing is believing.—
Mark Ellwood,
Robb Report,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Homily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homily. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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