as in memorial
a special structure or statue that is built to remind people of a dead person who is buried somewhere else
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Recent Examples of cenotaph
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the city’s mayor and other officials laid flowers at the cenotaph.
—
Mari Yamaguchi, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
Tombs were frequently located by the sea, especially cenotaphs – empty graves meant to memorialize those who died at sea and whose bodies could not be recovered.
—Marie-Claire Beaulieu, The Conversation, 28 July 2025
Instead of the vast open space, there are now hundreds of near identical cenotaphs, each featuring the name and a picture of a victim.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 7 Oct. 2024
Her bed has become her grave, a tomb beneath the ceiling of her room,
the ceiling a cenotaph.
—Mosab Abu Toha, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cenotaph
Mari Yamaguchi, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
Tombs were frequently located by the sea, especially cenotaphs – empty graves meant to memorialize those who died at sea and whose bodies could not be recovered.
—Marie-Claire Beaulieu, The Conversation, 28 July 2025
Instead of the vast open space, there are now hundreds of near identical cenotaphs, each featuring the name and a picture of a victim.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 7 Oct. 2024
Her bed has become her grave, a tomb beneath the ceiling of her room,
the ceiling a cenotaph.
—Mosab Abu Toha, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cenotaph
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cenotaph
Noun
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For many people, remembrance means attending a vigil, visiting a memorial, reading the names of the 49, or sharing a tribute.—
Jennifer Marcial Ocasio,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2026
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Driscoll’s memorial was canceled.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
14 June 2026
Noun
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Pagans come by the thousands to Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument built between approximately 3100 and 1600 BC in Wiltshire, England.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
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The involuntary drivers of the buses that had become momentary monuments fist-bumped the fans who streamed past them.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cenotaph.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cenotaph. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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