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
  • Groundwater tests taken near the purge sites showed evidence of oil field wastewater pollution, including high levels of salt, bromide and the carcinogen benzene, which exceeded the EPA drinking water standard by five times.
    — Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 27 Oct. 2026
  • At the time, the state used a three-drug execution protocol of midazolam, vecuronium bromide and potassium chloride.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of bromide
Noun
  • In American sports, namely college and professional football, head coaches often land on one singular proverb after a victory.
    — Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The underlying lesson of the proverb dates back at least to the time of the first Olympics in Greece — nearly 3,000 years ago, for those counting at home.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of proverb
Noun
  • Aside from those familiar tropes, the absence of regular eliminations, a staple of dating shows, help set the show apart, according to Harrison.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Produced by Amy Poehler and co-directed by Alyce Tzue and John Ripa, Steps rehashes once-radical, now familiar tropes like the antagonist as hero and the bonds of sisterhood outweighing conventional romance.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of trope
Noun
  • Another truism, again reaffirmed, is that a president’s approval ratings often are useful in gauging the country’s mood before midterm elections.
    — W Joseph Campbell, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The Gilded Age is beyond simplistic writing truisms like making every scene matter or following a story line all the way to a resolution.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of truism
Noun
  • This isn’t a platitude; the team was as enthused as ever late in the season, long after wins and losses stopped mattering.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Are the general platitudes about Perry’s talent and why Friends was successful — courtesy of a single cultural critic — really necessary?
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of platitude
Noun
  • The songs on Purdy also have the tone of journal entries, detailing haggard trips to the grocery store, daydreams about his young daughters’ glamorous adult lives, and observations about the banality of oppression.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The sentences, packed with jargon, beat me down with their elaborate banality.
    — Max Callimanopulos, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of banality
Noun
  • One of my favorite sayings came from a wetsuit ad for Body Glove in SURFER magazine back in the mid 1960s that featured Mickey Munoz.
    — Corky Carroll, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Put junk into it, and more junk will come out, as the saying goes.
    — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of saying
Noun
  • All attuned to the issues that concern younger generations, who refuse to be stratified by shopworn political shibboleths.
    — James D. Zirin, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Brock, like other great chefs of his generation, understand that the cuisines of the South are neither monoliths nor shibboleths.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 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 14 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on chestnut

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chestnut

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