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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Recent Examples of adage
Unfortunately, this adage describes the current deportation mess that concerns many Americans.
—
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2026
Knowledge is power, the adage goes.
—Heidi Reynolds-Stenson, The Conversation, 29 Jan. 2026
For the Guardian writer, the question was a rare refutation of Betteridge’s law, the journalistic adage stating that any headline ending in a question mark can be answered with a no.
—Hermione Hoby, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
But just like the adage that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others, merit is the worst form of assessment except all the others.
—Kenji Yoshino, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adage
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2026
Knowledge is power, the adage goes.
—Heidi Reynolds-Stenson, The Conversation, 29 Jan. 2026
For the Guardian writer, the question was a rare refutation of Betteridge’s law, the journalistic adage stating that any headline ending in a question mark can be answered with a no.
—Hermione Hoby, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
But just like the adage that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others, merit is the worst form of assessment except all the others.
—Kenji Yoshino, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adage
Noun
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But perhaps the night’s theme was best summed up by a proverb, not from Italy, but Coventry’s native continent.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
7 Feb. 2026
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And there’s a proverb, this idea of the secret of getting old.—
Renée Onque,
CNBC,
26 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In the early years of Islam, when states hardly existed as such in the Arab world, Sharia helped communities to manage their own affairs, based on a set of guidelines drawn from the Quran and on the sayings of the Prophet.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
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The saying about real estate — location, location, location — has some truth for the annual State of the Union address, too, in describing who sits where.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Every sentence has extra nuance, so stay aware of your word choice.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Mar. 2026
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Mostly Mute Monday tells an astronomical story in images, visuals, and no more than 200 words.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There are three problems with this maxim.—
Tad Friend,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
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Still, that leaves a substantial audience who will find much to enjoy in this grisly yet sensitive take on the old maxim that every baby is different.—
Catherine Bray,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adage. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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