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
  • Authorities found a note on Karmelo Anthony's phone with a long list of disturbing racial tropes and slurs about Blacks, whites and Hispanics.
    — J.D. Miles, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Tara and Willow were groundbreaking characters at the time, and Tara’s death caused real grief in fans who did not expect the Bury Your Gays trope to appear in this show.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 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
  • Today, Instagram unveiled a refresh of its wordmark, accompanied by the usual bland corporate platitudes these kinds of announcements are always packaged with.
    — Aurich Lawson, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Not everybody needs to spend the rest of their life totally abstinent with a cup of shitty coffee in a Styrofoam cup regurgitating platitudes.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of platitude
Noun
  • Then morning would come, with all the banalities that drew them apart.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Of course, when a person live-streams long enough, banality can eventually give way to horror.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of banality
Noun
  • The saying comes from the Navy SEALs, a group Cole had become fascinated with through his years around San Diego.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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
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Cite this Entry

“Chestnut.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chestnut. Accessed 22 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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