as in cliché
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
ended his letter with the overused truism, "You can't win them all!"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 truism
The play isn’t subtle; the final sequence leans hard on truisms about addiction and trauma, which are affecting but overly explicit.
—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
20 Feb. 2026
What’s happening now underscores that truism.
—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
Mayors of other county cities have recently validated that truism.
—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Warfare Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree.
—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for truism
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
20 Feb. 2026
What’s happening now underscores that truism.
—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
Mayors of other county cities have recently validated that truism.
—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Warfare Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree.
—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for truism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for truism
Noun
-
As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, some of America’s most visible business leaders are doing more than offering patriotic platitudes.
-
There’s passable yet indistinguishable music in this exact style dropping every day, but the difference with Chicago’s Fatso is that his lyrics feel like scraps of conversations that communicate his hurt without leaning on platitudes.
Noun
-
Wolff was only the eighth woman to drive a Formula 1 car (four more have done it since); the role, a now-commonplace one that includes driving the simulator during Grand Prix weekends to inform trackside strategy, was created for her.
-
The videos are often integrated into larger montages of drone strikes, underscoring how commonplace these drones have become for Russian forces.
Noun
-
The reason can be explained by a Japanese proverb about the importance of leaving no mess.
-
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
-
The ‘meet cute’ is becoming a trope in how people on social media talk about romance.
-
The framing often positions Clark, a white player, as fragile and in need of shielding from predominantly Black opponents, reinforcing racist tropes about Black women being overly aggressive.
Noun
-
One popular saying suggests a knot tied on a rainy day is harder to untie.
-
But your abhorrence of the outcomes of particular elections doesn’t justify your saying, Well, the hell with that.
Noun
-
But together, the whole is blander than the sum of its parts—a subtle banality humans can often implicitly sense.
-
Communion does him no favors, though, mostly in its sheer banality.
Noun
-
The fire contained compounds from more than two dozen chemical families, including dangerous amounts of bromide, a naturally occurring element that can irritate the skin and mucus membranes.
-
The bromide has been debunked, but there is power — and delight — in making coffee shop drinks at home.
Cite this Entry
“Truism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/truism. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
