as in clichés
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
Almonds, chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, chia, and flax are rich in magnesium and omega-3s, helping to support nervous-system and hormonal balance.
—
Mélanie Defouilloy, Vogue, 24 Feb. 2026
One programmer joked that his early sketches of the Goombas looked like chestnuts— kuri in Japanese, which is why Goombas are known in Japan as kuribo.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Nuts Many nuts, including walnuts, pecans, chestnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds, are rich in polyphenols.
—Lindsey Desoto, Health, 27 Jan. 2026
The streets and shops are adorned with lights, and the smell of freshly roasted chestnuts looms around every corner.
—Jenna Curcio, InStyle, 21 Jan. 2026
From chestnuts literally roasting on an open fire in the rain to a string quartet raising money for a mission trip decked in Victorian-era clothing, and hot chocolate being sold, the Victorian Christmas in Nevada City has been bringing visitors to this era since 1978.
—Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
Key Takeaways Water chestnuts are nutrient-dense vegetables, not nuts.
—Hannah Coakley, Verywell Health, 8 Dec. 2025
Either as a snack or as the first step in making the Chestnut Cake, these roasted chestnuts are a special holiday treat.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2025
Picture chestnuts roasting, holiday tunes setting the soundtrack, and Christmas lights adding to the scene.
—Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2025
Mélanie Defouilloy, Vogue, 24 Feb. 2026
One programmer joked that his early sketches of the Goombas looked like chestnuts— kuri in Japanese, which is why Goombas are known in Japan as kuribo.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Nuts Many nuts, including walnuts, pecans, chestnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds, are rich in polyphenols.
—Lindsey Desoto, Health, 27 Jan. 2026
The streets and shops are adorned with lights, and the smell of freshly roasted chestnuts looms around every corner.
—Jenna Curcio, InStyle, 21 Jan. 2026
From chestnuts literally roasting on an open fire in the rain to a string quartet raising money for a mission trip decked in Victorian-era clothing, and hot chocolate being sold, the Victorian Christmas in Nevada City has been bringing visitors to this era since 1978.
—Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
Key Takeaways Water chestnuts are nutrient-dense vegetables, not nuts.
—Hannah Coakley, Verywell Health, 8 Dec. 2025
Either as a snack or as the first step in making the Chestnut Cake, these roasted chestnuts are a special holiday treat.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2025
Picture chestnuts roasting, holiday tunes setting the soundtrack, and Christmas lights adding to the scene.
—Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chestnuts
Noun
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Despite their clear affection for these women, the Dardenne brothers never sugarcoat their characters’ unenviable circumstance or latch onto phony bromides to alleviate our anxiety.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2026
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There is a reason why the apocalyptic bromides about the state of print haven’t come to fruition, other than for disposable periodicals and newspapers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
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And so for all their acclaim and popularity, the pieces have been slammed by these critics for playing to ugly tropes.—
David Colman,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Feb. 2026
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But Fogelman’s feints are so dependent on worn tropes that, in the three-part Season 2 premiere that is now streaming on Hulu, Paradise becomes not just predictable, but also kind of dull.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For nine months, Erasmus spent his short nights in a modest dorm and his long days in the print shop, expanding on his collection of proverbs Adagiorum chiliades while Aldus proofread, craftsman carefully laying sets of print and rolling paper through the press.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Nov. 2025
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Includes quirky facts, adages, advice, quotes and proverbs, as well as articles about mistletoe, bird nests, perennials, timekeeping, recipes and more.—
Alex Perry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Many use cases are still being deployed or piloted, and the agency’s AI database is filled with jargon and platitudes that, in many instances, can be interpreted in multiple ways.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Google is famous for dodging questions by reciting platitudes on its calls.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As far back as the Victorian era, exchanging a few banalities was part of a veritable social code—a way of signaling both politeness and boundaries.—
Jeanne Ballion,
Vogue,
27 Dec. 2025
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Written by Noah Oppenheim, Bigelow’s real-time thriller about the banalities and actualities of a fictional-in-premise-only nuclear attack on the United States is Netflix’s best horse in the race at the Oscars this year.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That these sayings are meant to reflect something both deep and asinine about the film itself is self-evident.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
15 Feb. 2026
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Today, the writings come in the form of cards and sweet sayings on candy.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The play isn’t subtle; the final sequence leans hard on truisms about addiction and trauma, which are affecting but overly explicit.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
20 Feb. 2026
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One of the truisms in the past for Team Canada at some best-on-best events is needing a few games to find its game.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chestnuts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chestnuts. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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