as in cliches
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
an op-ed piece that's offers nothing but warmed-over chestnuts for solving the city's financial woes
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Recent Examples of chestnuts
Istanbul pulses with history—its skyline crowned with slender minarets, grand domes, and bustling bazaars filled with copperware, carpets, and the scent of roasted chestnuts.
—
Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Woody and green aromas, followed by a taste that differs—mocha and figs and some roasted chestnuts.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
So UConn’s postseason chestnuts were once more extricated from the fire, the freshman performing to keep things alive.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2025
Street vendors hawked goods displayed on blankets spread on the sidewalk and sold steaming hot chestnuts from carts.
—New York Times, 9 Feb. 2025
Christmas Eve may be a good time to roast chestnuts on the fire (or maybe toast marshmallows), but Parker Solar Probe scientists have built their spacecraft to avoid getting burned by the sun.
—Tariq Malik, Space.com, 22 Dec. 2024
Miami doesn't roast chestnuts for Christmas.
—Martin Vassolo, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
But chestnuts didn’t disappear.
—Martin Sorge, Chicago Tribune, 16 Dec. 2024
Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Woody and green aromas, followed by a taste that differs—mocha and figs and some roasted chestnuts.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
So UConn’s postseason chestnuts were once more extricated from the fire, the freshman performing to keep things alive.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2025
Street vendors hawked goods displayed on blankets spread on the sidewalk and sold steaming hot chestnuts from carts.
—New York Times, 9 Feb. 2025
Christmas Eve may be a good time to roast chestnuts on the fire (or maybe toast marshmallows), but Parker Solar Probe scientists have built their spacecraft to avoid getting burned by the sun.
—Tariq Malik, Space.com, 22 Dec. 2024
Miami doesn't roast chestnuts for Christmas.
—Martin Vassolo, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
But chestnuts didn’t disappear.
—Martin Sorge, Chicago Tribune, 16 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chestnuts
Noun
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Of course, some cliches are nothing but lazy thinking.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
30 Aug. 2025
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In fact, natural is the word to sum up Chapman, a host who, like Artie Bucco, could be described as warm and convivial, who rarely fails to ask piercing questions devoid of cliches and has a relaxed but authoritative style.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Incidents of such poisoning saw a sharp decline when the Food and Drug Administration phased out the use of bromides in pharmaceuticals between the mid 70s and late 1980s.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Aside from fake dating, the novel is full of beloved, albeit cheesy, rom-com tropes.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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Punishing yet satisfying combat In reliable fashion, Art of Vengeance makes use of dozens of storytelling tropes from across ninja media.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chestnuts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chestnuts. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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