as in cliché
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
"blondes have more fun" is a silly platitude
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of platitude
This was an Alysa Liu celebration in Oakland, so a parade of stiff speakers and flowery platitudes would not suffice.
—
Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Mar. 2026
Well, Texas is good on offense and little else, and to his credit Miller isn't hiding behind platitudes about where this thing can go one day or what must happen over these next few weeks.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 9 Mar. 2026
Li shook hands with Whitmarsh and exchanged platitudes with the other guests.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026
The gap between $0 and $600 million makes his observation harder to dismiss as a platitude.
—Ryan Brennan
march 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for platitude
Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Mar. 2026
Well, Texas is good on offense and little else, and to his credit Miller isn't hiding behind platitudes about where this thing can go one day or what must happen over these next few weeks.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 9 Mar. 2026
Li shook hands with Whitmarsh and exchanged platitudes with the other guests.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026
The gap between $0 and $600 million makes his observation harder to dismiss as a platitude.
—Ryan Brennan
march 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for platitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for platitude
Noun
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That is a truism of NFL free agency.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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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
Noun
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Despite their clear affection for these women, the Dardenne brothers never sugarcoat their characters’ unenviable circumstance or latch onto phony bromides to alleviate our anxiety.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2026
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Doping the Undopable The work focuses on cesium lead bromide nanoparticles known as CsPbBr3.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The banality of her words about Ma Binney was terrible.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
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The scale and range of Dominique Pelicot’s partners in crime showed the terrible banality of their acts, and how easily society had allowed them.—
Gaby Wood,
Vogue,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Such double-headers are far from commonplace in English football, but are becoming more frequent.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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The most commonplace and the most concerning, as a consequence, come by way of phishing campaigns.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Steeped in international cinema, Haghighi has since taken familiar tropes, forms, and genres and bent them in new directions.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Episode 1, for example, comes over as a political thriller with horror tropes where Prime Minister Adolfo Saúrez battles in 1976 to persuade – or bribe – a Francoist parliament to vote itself out of existence.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The decal features a common saying in intelligence circles.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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More than a saying, pura vida is a guiding philosophy that honors simplicity and sustainability, and celebrates the deep-rooted connection between people and their environment.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Platitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/platitude. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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