chestnut

noun

ˈches(t)-(ˌ)nət How to pronounce chestnut (audio)
Definition of chestnutnext
as in bromide
an idea or expression that has been used by many people An op-ed piece that offers nothing but warmed-over chestnuts for solving the city's financial woes.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chestnut
  1. bromide
  2. proverb
  3. trope
  4. truism
  5. platitude
  6. banality
  7. saying
  8. shibboleth
Noun
  • The fire contained compounds from more than two dozen chemical families, including dangerous amounts of bromide, a naturally occurring element that can irritate the skin and mucus membranes.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 29 June 2026
  • The bromide has been debunked, but there is power — and delight — in making coffee shop drinks at home.
    — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 25 June 2026
Definition of bromide
Noun
  • There’s a football proverb so old that, well, good luck attempting to find its original source.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
  • The reason can be explained by a Japanese proverb about the importance of leaving no mess.
    — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 June 2026
Definition of proverb
Noun
  • Its real interest, though, seems to lie beyond both DC Universe lore and the procedural tropes of the rural murder investigations that occupy most of its runtime.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Their emotional appeals drew on longstanding cultural tropes that cast trans and gender-diverse people as deviant or dangerous, amplifying public anxieties about trans rights, despite a lack of evidence for such claims.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of trope
Noun
  • But most politicians are pretty easily replaced, a truism that Moreno reinforced by going public.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • There’s a long-standing truism in the world of physical attacks that defenders need to succeed every time, but attackers need to succeed just once.
    — Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of truism
Noun
  • At last week’s meeting, though, Warsh spoke largely in platitudes and generalizations.
    — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Leaders must understand grief's unique, individual nature, avoiding assumptions or platitudes.
    — Mena Mirhom, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of platitude
Noun
  • Of course, when a person live-streams long enough, banality can eventually give way to horror.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026
  • For all the women looking up at me to think of me not as a crying heap on a toilet whose baby never latched but as someone who found meaning in all of our daily banalities.
    — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of banality
Noun
  • Teachers of science, mathematics and English were expected to include Quranic verses, sayings and traditions attributed to the Prophet Muhammad or other religious messages in their lessons.
    — Fatima Faizi, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Personalize the labels with sweet sayings, their initials, or even anniversary dates to commemorate the occasion.
    — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of saying
Noun
  • But a new shibboleth has seized the day.
    — Bruce Stockler, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026
  • The director scores easy laughs off of modern-day progressive shibboleths such as gender-fluid pronouns, trigger warnings and Native American land acknowledgments.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Houston Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of shibboleth
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

chesterfields
chestnut
chestnuts
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chestnut.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chestnut. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on chestnut

Nglish: Translation of chestnut for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chestnut

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