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
And that cannot be swept under the proverbial rug.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
All these years later, the 41-year-old James and 37-year-old Durant were still trading proverbial punches, still the most important players on their respective teams (with Luka Dončić out for the Lakers, of course).
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
For fans who have ridden with Whitcomb for years and seen his evolution encompass all of the good and bad of his journey, reveling in a project such as Deep Water, which stands as a firm proclamation of happiness, must feel like a proverbial breath of fresh air.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Luke Kennard, who last month was competing for additional bench minutes as a sharp-shooting specialist, recognized the proverbial freedom as well.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for proverbial
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Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
All these years later, the 41-year-old James and 37-year-old Durant were still trading proverbial punches, still the most important players on their respective teams (with Luka Dončić out for the Lakers, of course).
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
For fans who have ridden with Whitcomb for years and seen his evolution encompass all of the good and bad of his journey, reveling in a project such as Deep Water, which stands as a firm proclamation of happiness, must feel like a proverbial breath of fresh air.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Luke Kennard, who last month was competing for additional bench minutes as a sharp-shooting specialist, recognized the proverbial freedom as well.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for proverbial
Cite this Entry
“Proverbial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proverbial. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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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