chestnuts

Definition of chestnutsnext
plural of chestnut
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of chestnuts Canned Water Chestnuts Fresh water chestnuts, while hard to find, are sweeter and juicier than canned varieties, with a cleaner, more pronounced crunch. Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026 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 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
  • In Cuba today, Marxist bromides serve as nothing more than rhetorical cover for corruption.
    Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • Creating this distinct sense of place, without employing gimmicky tropes (all too easy to do in a place like Hawaii, where a little puka shell goes a long way), is what makes Hualālai stand out on an island of upscale resorts.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Still others are repeating the same tropes that have plagued college sports for more than a decade.
    Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
  • But for UConn, the platitudes feel profoundly honest.
    Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Donovan reiterated a series of platitudes that haven’t changed during his time with the Bulls.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
  • Countless sayings have likened friends to our most precious commodities—safety, home, even precious metals—for good reason.
    Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Blue-and-white minibuses, inscribed with misspelt movie quotes and popular local sayings, snaked through the congestion on the narrow road in front of them.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
Noun
  • 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
  • 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, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Chestnuts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chestnuts. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.

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