Thesaurus results for ADAGE

adage

noun

ˈa-dij

Definition of adage

as in proverb

an often stated observation regarding something from common experience that old adage, "the early bird gets the worm"

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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 adage The statewide system also suffers from a political version of the old adage that too many cooks spoil the broth. — Dan Walters, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2026 Tech, against the age-old adage, is prioritizing the destination over the journey. — Ross Kenneth Urken, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026 There’s an old military adage that says there’s no such thing as a small war for a big power. — Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2026 Yeah, that’s a great point, and an adage that’s familiar to me — delivered by my own dad. — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for adage

Recent Examples of Synonyms for adage

Noun

That proverb, attributed to everyone from Yogi Berra to a Danish Nobel laureate, springs to mind whenever someone asks me about an upcoming NFL season.

— Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
An ancient proverb notes that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of proverb

Noun

Alas, poor Bryan is about to learn the hard way that change — as the saying goes — is as hard to outrun as an ever-growing zombie rat king with 37 different limbs and a weirdly personal vendetta.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2026
As the saying goes, anything is possible under the Friday Night Lights.

— Staff report, Oc Register, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of saying

Noun

Apparently the trick is to react more to the tone and tempo of the voice, rather than necessarily the precise words.

— Nick Miller, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
The same poll found belief that data centers raise electricity bills jumped from 43% in January to nearly 60% by July—six months before Apollo or Morgan Stanley published a word of this research.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of word

Noun

Living by a maxim that equated failure with opportunity, Brees exhibited a knack for turning tribulation into triumph.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
The walls are robin’s-egg blue, painted with images of meditating skeletons and vaguely inspirational maxims.

— John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026

Definition of maxim

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adage

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“Adage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adage. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of adage

noun

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