Definition of theriacnext
as in nostrum
something that cures all ills or problems the wizard's attempts to concoct a theriac for the king came to naught

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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 theriac But with its long list of as many as 80 ingredients and high status, theriac was expensive and exclusive. Elizabeth Heath, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2023 Zinc lozenges suddenly became the theriac to cure all ills; masks and hand-sanitizer, the ambergris and zedoary to ward off infection. Spencer Strub, The New York Review of Books, 25 Mar. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theriac
Noun
  • Anderson found the origins of present fads in the fervent nostrums of the past.
    David Denby, New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Because of the false but persistent and powerfully seductive nostrum that reducing the value of a country’s currency will stimulate its economy by making its exports cheaper and its imports more expensive.
    Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • In the thirties, elixir sulfanilamide, an antibiotic mixed into a toxic solvent, gave patients intense pain, kidney failure, and neurological problems.
    Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Our enterprising Gravedigger, a true woman of science, engineers a lizard elixir and regenerates the finger into a long tentacle that eventually demands a body.
    Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • As an aside, often responses will come in that do attempt to diagnose a medical condition or remedy based on a brief description of a problem in a letter.
    R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Another remedy or obstacle, depending on your viewpoint, is coming to the city in the form of speed cameras.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • To be sure, Ebony Alerts are not a panacea.
    Itay Ravid, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Cons to Using Orange Peels While often touted as a panacea around the garden, orange peels have some downsides.
    Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The Roku Smart Indoor Camera 360° SE is the ultimate cure for middle-of-the-night anxiety.
    Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026
  • For context, 70% expected a cure for cancer, and 10% expected an end to all civilization.
    Ariel Edwards-Levy, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Theriac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theriac. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.

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