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Definition of proverbial
From the M-W Editors
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
Recent Examples of proverbial from the Web
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Today, there are a handful who gladly carry the proverbial jam-band torch.
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Inside the president’s house, the press has always been on tenuous ground, sitting a few feet away from the proverbial deep end.
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This is the proverbial can, it has been kicked way down the road again.
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Other’s wait ‘til the end to tie that proverbial knot in your throat.
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Surprisingly, going off the proverbial grid hasn’t isolated the couple.
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If adrenaline shoots through our systems and our hearts pump faster when chased by a proverbial bear, our emotional defense systems spring into action when faced with possible emotional pain.
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Opposition parties will see it as an opportunity to pull down the government and some in her party will see it as a proverbial bad deal.
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NASA was slammed with a record number of astronaut applicants this year and out of more than 183,000 people, only 12 were given that proverbial golden ticket.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'proverbial'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of proverbial
see 1proverb
PROVERBIAL Defined for English Language Learners
proverbial
playDefinition of proverbial for English Language Learners
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: of, relating to, or resembling a proverb
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: commonly spoken of : widely known
PROVERBIAL Defined for Kids
proverbial
playDefinition of proverbial for Students
1 : of a proverb a proverbial expression
2 : commonly spoken of You have the proverbial beginner's luck.
proverbially
adverbLearn More about proverbial
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Spanish Central: Translation of proverbial Nglish: Translation of proverbial for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of proverbial for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
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