proverbial
adjective
pro·ver·bi·al
prə-ˈvər-bē-əl 
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a proverb
2
: that has become a proverb or byword : commonly spoken of
the proverbial smoking gun
Examples of proverbial in a Sentence
Insanity roamed through her large midwestern tribe, cloistered in proverbial dark closets in gabled houses in areas of the country where no one else lived for miles and miles …
—
Lynne Tillman, Motion Sickness, 1991
I keep running across people who speak fondly about what they imagine to be the comforts of autocracy, who long for the assurances of the proverbial man on the white horse likely to do something hard and puritanical about the moral relativism that has made a mess of the cities, the schools, and prime-time television.
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, November 1990
Lynne Tillman, Motion Sickness, 1991
I keep running across people who speak fondly about what they imagine to be the comforts of autocracy, who long for the assurances of the proverbial man on the white horse likely to do something hard and puritanical about the moral relativism that has made a mess of the cities, the schools, and prime-time television.
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, November 1990
Recent Examples on the Web
What happens if a key employee gets hit by the proverbial bus?
—Ryan Weissmueller, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
The Avs are at one of those proverbial forks in the road that could define the franchise for years to come.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2025
Gordon picking up Kawhi Leonard and pressuring him to start the game was a metaphor for the Nuggets’ physicality with their proverbial backs to the wall.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
After the Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards poked the proverbial bear, Doncic turned his game up a notch, scoring 31 points to go with 12 rebounds and nine assists (on a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line) to give the Lakers a 94-85 victory in Game 2, evening the series.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proverbial
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Ryan Weissmueller, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
The Avs are at one of those proverbial forks in the road that could define the franchise for years to come.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2025
Gordon picking up Kawhi Leonard and pressuring him to start the game was a metaphor for the Nuggets’ physicality with their proverbial backs to the wall.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
After the Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards poked the proverbial bear, Doncic turned his game up a notch, scoring 31 points to go with 12 rebounds and nine assists (on a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line) to give the Lakers a 94-85 victory in Game 2, evening the series.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proverbial
Cite this Entry
“Proverbial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proverbial. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
proverbial
adjective
pro·ver·bi·al
prə-ˈvər-bē-əl
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a proverb
proverbial wisdom
2
: commonly spoken of
the proverbial beginner's luck
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