catachresis

noun

Definition of catachresisnext
as in simile

Related Words

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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
  • 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
  • Salazar-Thompson’s witty script — packed with hilarious metaphors and similes (like comparing a woman’s firm grip on her purse to that of a two-toed sloth on a branch) — make for a consistently amusing trip back in time.
    — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of simile
Noun
  • Tshabalala’s bluntness about the economic cost is the rare honest signal here; business will not be pacified by euphemisms.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 10 July 2026
  • The Execution Crisis Defined Rasmus Holst, CEO of Zensai, describes it without euphemism.
    — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 9 June 2026
Definition of euphemism
Noun
  • The one case of revitalization that comes anywhere close to the Yellowstone analogy is Hebrew.
    — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • And, if not, put this analogy down to some hot summer fever dreams.
    — Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 15 July 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
  • The triple-mixed metaphor says it all: Licht & Co. are struggling with the intractable problem of how to square the CNN brand’s promise — straight news — with the entertainment imperatives of nighttime television.
    — Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2022
Definition of mixed metaphor
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
Definition of code word
Noun
  • The boxing ring metaphor was largely abandoned once the competition began, even though there were more opportunities to mix baseball’s tradition of walkup music with fight sports’ swaggering walkouts.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 14 July 2026
  • Herman Melville, no stranger to the sea and its metaphors, was busy writing.
    — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 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

catachreses
catachresis
catachrestic
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Cite this Entry

“Catachresis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catachresis. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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