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
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
Cash’s characters are believable and specific, but contrary to Tolstoy’s famous adage, this unhappy family is, in key respects, like many others.
—Gideon Leek, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
Why the adage might be overblown Although recent results support the coaching cliché, the broader lens isn’t as clear.
—Matt Baker, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adage
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
Cash’s characters are believable and specific, but contrary to Tolstoy’s famous adage, this unhappy family is, in key respects, like many others.
—Gideon Leek, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
Why the adage might be overblown Although recent results support the coaching cliché, the broader lens isn’t as clear.
—Matt Baker, New York Times, 9 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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That these sayings are meant to reflect something both deep and asinine about the film itself is self-evident.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
15 Feb. 2026
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Today, the writings come in the form of cards and sweet sayings on candy.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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One word kept coming up among women who talked about their journeys in those years.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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Silver knows that strong words and six-figure fines might not be nearly enough to compel struggling teams to commit to real competition instead of improving their odds in what’s expected to be one of the deepest drafts in recent history — and that’s why the NBA is looking at stronger solutions.—
Greg Beacham,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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The United States is currently living out the first half of that maxim.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adage. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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