catachresis

noun

Definition of catachresisnext
as in simile

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catachresis
  1. simile
  2. euphemism
  3. analogy
  4. circumlocution
  5. mixed metaphor
  6. code word
  7. metaphor
Noun
  • In this way, simile and metaphor stretch beyond what’s possible to bring us closer to what’s true.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Isla’s mother, Chloe Howell, said the tween loves to crack jokes at home and came up with the funny simile herself.
    — Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of simile
Noun
  • Coolly, Violet responds that to avoid alarming the public, a few agitators have beenneutralized—now there’s a sticky euphemism—and their deaths passed off as revenge killings among drug traffickers.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Orwell was exploring the roles that euphemism, tangled syntax, and dying metaphors can play in obscuring the true intentions of a totalitarian state.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of euphemism
Noun
  • The scene serves as an intimate and visceral analogy to the more diffuse horrors of war.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • In this analogy, Anderson would be ironing out logistics like camera angles or lighting.
    — Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of analogy
Noun
  • But in terms of its actual content, the statement was pretty thin gruel, bristling with public relations-style circumlocution and vagueness.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Here, instead, she’s swayed by a dead Diana softly squeezing her hand and kindly hinting — the dead Diana is an ace at tactful circumlocution — that now is the time to show a mourning nation some emotion.
    — Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 16 Nov. 2023
Definition of circumlocution
Noun
  • Cats, however, may turn out to be the canaries in the coalmines — pardon the mixed metaphor.
    — Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Excuse the mixed metaphor, but the Viper feels like a great white shark on the road.
    — WSJ, WSJ, 3 Dec. 2022
Definition of mixed metaphor
Noun
  • Hyun’s solution is to agree on a code word that only the two of you know.
    — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Some couples and families even choose a code word that means the conversation is pausing, Wilson says—not that the relationship is disappearing.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of code word
Noun
  • Most composers settle for metaphor when conveying the elements.
    — Shauna Lyon, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The room went still, and nobody asked him to explain the metaphor.
    — Amanda Connelly, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of metaphor
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.

Browse Nearby Words

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catachresis
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“Catachresis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catachresis. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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