as in platitudes
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
a newspaper editorial offering the timeworn bromide that people should settle their differences peacefully
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Recent Examples of bromides
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, 16 Jan. 2026
There is a reason why the apocalyptic bromides about the state of print haven’t come to fruition, other than for disposable periodicals and newspapers.
—Literary Hub, 24 Nov. 2025
These films explore those bonds without ever resorting to bromides or mawkishness.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
There is an outright rejection of bromides that would give us some conclusion of reassurance.
—Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
Incidents of such poisoning saw a sharp decline when the Food and Drug Administration phased out the use of bromides in pharmaceuticals between the mid 70s and late 1980s.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
There is a reason why the apocalyptic bromides about the state of print haven’t come to fruition, other than for disposable periodicals and newspapers.
—Literary Hub, 24 Nov. 2025
These films explore those bonds without ever resorting to bromides or mawkishness.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
There is an outright rejection of bromides that would give us some conclusion of reassurance.
—Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
Incidents of such poisoning saw a sharp decline when the Food and Drug Administration phased out the use of bromides in pharmaceuticals between the mid 70s and late 1980s.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bromides
Noun
-
Li shook hands with Whitmarsh and exchanged platitudes with the other guests.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The stump speech that voters — or would-be voters — get about this time of year entails platitudes about exercising rights, not sitting on the sidelines, using your voice and so on.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As far back as the Victorian era, exchanging a few banalities was part of a veritable social code—a way of signaling both politeness and boundaries.—
Jeanne Ballion,
Vogue,
27 Dec. 2025
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Written by Noah Oppenheim, Bigelow’s real-time thriller about the banalities and actualities of a fictional-in-premise-only nuclear attack on the United States is Netflix’s best horse in the race at the Oscars this year.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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
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One of the truisms in the past for Team Canada at some best-on-best events is needing a few games to find its game.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Holtz was quick with inspirational sayings, humor, and self-depreciation that was an act, but oh so charming.—
Mac Engel
March 5,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Mar. 2026
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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
Noun
-
The users are not only escaping the real world for a moment, but are escaping their own identities in a way that fiction can provide, giving familiar tropes that will always conclude with a happy ending in place of the uncertainties (and often cruel certainties) of the real world.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
6 Mar. 2026
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The solid dramatic framework that Gyllenhaal establishes drives events onward with relentless force, and her film is devilishly clever in its fusion of gothic horror and film-noir tropes.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Canned Water Chestnuts Fresh water chestnuts, while hard to find, are sweeter and juicier than canned varieties, with a cleaner, more pronounced crunch.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
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Almonds, chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, chia, and flax are rich in magnesium and omega-3s, helping to support nervous-system and hormonal balance.—
Mélanie Defouilloy,
Vogue,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bromides.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bromides. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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