1
as in metaphors
a way of describing or explaining one thing by means of describing another with which it shares certain points or qualities
The teacher used the analogy of a common pipeline to explain bandwidth on the Internet.
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2
as in similarities
resemblance in certain points or qualities between two or more otherwise unlike things
The study made note of analogies between human and ape social behavior.
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Recent Examples of analogies
Some see analogies to the Olympics.
—
Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 4 June 2026
The psychologist found these analogies interesting.
—Weike Wang, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Those are harsh analogies but not wholly inapt ones.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 1 May 2026
Klemperer also noticed how often Nazi propaganda used sports analogies and superlatives to make its point.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
The storylines and analogies Brown uses vary in familiarity.
—Haley Sawyer, Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
Complex or technical topics should be explained in terms that members already understand, using simple analogies for understanding.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2026
There are analogies to the suspense that a pregnant woman must feel.
—Caleb Crain, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
The two immediately start swapping trivia and relative distance analogies.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 4 June 2026
The psychologist found these analogies interesting.
—Weike Wang, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Those are harsh analogies but not wholly inapt ones.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 1 May 2026
Klemperer also noticed how often Nazi propaganda used sports analogies and superlatives to make its point.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
The storylines and analogies Brown uses vary in familiarity.
—Haley Sawyer, Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
Complex or technical topics should be explained in terms that members already understand, using simple analogies for understanding.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2026
There are analogies to the suspense that a pregnant woman must feel.
—Caleb Crain, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
The two immediately start swapping trivia and relative distance analogies.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for analogies
Noun
-
Animals serve as allies, guides, objects of cruelty and aggression, and as striking metaphors for power, imperialism, and insurrection.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
Arnold uses different metaphors to describe his feelings about what lies between him and brother.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Concha drew similarities between working at Amazon or Tesla with working at Facebook.—
Sydney Topf,
The Washington Examiner,
12 June 2026
-
The two played in a pass-and-cut system that Boswell said had some similarities to what the Warriors do.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Prinano said its technology supports wafer-level production of photonic chips and can be applied to optical communication and sensing devices based on gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, and silicon photonics.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
11 June 2026
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Spending on mental wellness has accelerated faster than the evidence base, encompassing everything from spa retreats to brain supplements, smartphone apps, and at-home devices.—
Melinda Fulmer,
Robb Report,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Though Uruguay has officially won two World Cups, its team features four stars on its crest because FIFA recognizes its two Olympic soccer championships in 1924 and 1928 as championship equivalents.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
-
Models like Mythos are unique today, but history is clear that open-weight equivalents will follow.—
Philip Martin,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Analogies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/analogies. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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