as in analogy
an elaborate or fanciful way of expressing something
"it's raining cats and dogs" is just a colorful metaphor and not a meteorological announcement
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Recent Examples of metaphor
In the case of the enduring hostility between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States over the past 47 years, even this metaphor may be an understatement.
—
Mehrzad Boroujerdi, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
Salazar-Thompson’s witty script — packed with hilarious metaphors and similes (like comparing a woman’s firm grip on her purse to that of a two-toed sloth on a branch) — make for a consistently amusing trip back in time.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Privacy and authenticity are valuable assets for any artist to maintain, but Styles has never been a master of crafting a specific image, let alone a lyric that possesses a kind of crystal-clear metaphor or emotion.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
The Salesman was a story about a woman attacked as a metaphor for a blindsided country, the director brilliantly re-appropriating the ultimate American drama Death of a Salesman to make the point.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for metaphor
Mehrzad Boroujerdi, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
Salazar-Thompson’s witty script — packed with hilarious metaphors and similes (like comparing a woman’s firm grip on her purse to that of a two-toed sloth on a branch) — make for a consistently amusing trip back in time.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Privacy and authenticity are valuable assets for any artist to maintain, but Styles has never been a master of crafting a specific image, let alone a lyric that possesses a kind of crystal-clear metaphor or emotion.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
The Salesman was a story about a woman attacked as a metaphor for a blindsided country, the director brilliantly re-appropriating the ultimate American drama Death of a Salesman to make the point.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for metaphor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for metaphor
analogy
Noun
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Her lyrics declared independence from clingy lovers and assorted social expectations, often through analogies inspired by technology.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
11 Mar. 2026
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Once again using the housing analogy, think of VPS hosting as your own apartment in a building, with utilities that other tenants can't use.—
Gabriel Zamora,
PC Magazine,
8 Mar. 2026
Video
When Body Parts Are Also Verbs
Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes
Cite this Entry
“Metaphor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/metaphor. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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