catachresis

Definition of catachresisnext

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catachresis
Noun
  • 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
  • An image may resonate with deeper meanings (that’s what great directors can bring about), but the compression and displacement that make the simile devastating on the page have no cinematic equivalent.
    David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
Noun
  • This is nothing more than a euphemism for encouraging less citizen input and involvement in determining city policies and spending priorities.
    Joseph Landers, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Sam Roberts, a longtime obituarist for the New York Times, wants to banish the euphemisms that attend death.
    Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • That simple analogy may be one of the most compelling aspects of EverDye’s approach.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Most of the time, senators exercising this role must rely on gauzy assurances and strained analogies to the candidate’s performance in previous positions.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026
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
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
Noun
  • According to the Daily Mail, Baldoni and Swift actually communicated after the end of his dispute with Lively, and the two now share a code word when talking about the issue.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 July 2026
  • If someone claims there is an accident, arrest, hospital bill or urgent money problem, the code word gives your family a fast way to know whether the call is real.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026
Noun
  • In their desperation to sound unique, applicants often think too outside the box, trying out unusual formats, elaborate metaphors, or intentionally quirky topics in an effort to seem memorable.
    Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Being the kind of person who adorns themselves compulsively opens you up to a slew of corny metaphors that, against your will, feel deeply relevant to you.
    Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Catachresis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catachresis. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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