as in dead metaphor
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Recent Examples of code word
So, the vertices that are indexing positions of my code word.
—
Quanta Magazine, 7 Aug. 2025
The two decide to remedy that by packing four years' worth of adventure into one extremely chaotic, hilarious night, hyping each other up with compliments and providing unconditional support whenever one of them says their code word: Malala.
—Sophie Dodd, People.com, 9 July 2025
The animation in the video draws one’s consciousness in like a vortex, and the three sweets that make up the name are suggestive of some sort of code word.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 16 June 2025
Halbreich told me that prominent art institutions are already using code words, like community, to talk about diversity.
—Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for code word
Quanta Magazine, 7 Aug. 2025
The two decide to remedy that by packing four years' worth of adventure into one extremely chaotic, hilarious night, hyping each other up with compliments and providing unconditional support whenever one of them says their code word: Malala.
—Sophie Dodd, People.com, 9 July 2025
The animation in the video draws one’s consciousness in like a vortex, and the three sweets that make up the name are suggestive of some sort of code word.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 16 June 2025
Halbreich told me that prominent art institutions are already using code words, like community, to talk about diversity.
—Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for code word
Recent Examples of Synonyms for code word
Noun
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Many of our emotion terms are references to states of the body—we’re downcast, bent out of shape, head over heels, shaken up, down in the mouth—which have slowly rigidified into dead metaphor.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
The New Yorker,
1 Aug. 2022
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This shift reminds us that dead metaphors aren’t always terminally dead.—
Rob Nixon,
Smithsonian,
23 Mar. 2018
Noun
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But Calise reminded the audience AI development and adoption is very much still in the first inning, to use a baseball analogy.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
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Max’s wide range of uses has prompted analogies to China’s WeChat.—
Justin Sherman,
The Atlantic,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Consider, for instance, the use of rhetorical figures such as metaphor or simile.—
Nino Letteriello,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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No metaphors or similes or hyperbolic language needed here – your kids are next.—
Rob Gagnon,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Germany teaches the Holocaust without euphemism, South Africa memorializes apartheid, and Rwanda preserves memory of genocide — nations gain respect by confronting their darkest chapters, not avoiding them.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
27 Aug. 2025
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Sometimes, this stems from their opinion that the supposedly tactful replacements for the R-word are equally if not more offensive — a classic example of the euphemism treadmill in practice.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The scene demonstrates Courtney’s capacious approach to metaphor.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Oct. 2025
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Tipping points are not precise A tipping point is a metaphor for runaway change.—
Alexandra A Phillips,
The Conversation,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Their circumlocutions were as entrancing as their ability to find the most precisely ironic words for difficult-to-name realities.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 July 2025
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Here, instead, she’s swayed by a dead Diana softly squeezing her hand and kindly hinting — the dead Diana is an ace at tactful circumlocution — that now is the time to show a mourning nation some emotion.—
Tom Gliatto,
Peoplemag,
16 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Code word.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/code%20word. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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