code word

noun

Definition of code wordnext
as in dead metaphor

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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 code word To coordinate events in real time, the team used code words and hand signals. — Justin Ray, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026 For our district, seniority has become a code word for stagnation. — Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 20 May 2026 Sampson says her family now uses a code word. — Mike Winters, CNBC, 9 May 2026 But according to a report Wander, a luxury vacation rental company, shared with Travel +Leisure via email, there are also several unofficial phrases and code words that may be used in the air. — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for code word
Recent Examples of Synonyms for code word
  1. dead metaphor
  2. analogy
  3. simile
  4. euphemism
  5. metaphor
  6. circumlocution
Noun
  • The media are somewhat responsible, so apologies for beating a dead metaphor.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2026
  • This shift reminds us that dead metaphors aren’t always terminally dead.
    — Rob Nixon, Smithsonian, 23 Mar. 2018
Definition of dead metaphor
Noun
  • That simple analogy may be one of the most compelling aspects of EverDye’s approach.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Most of the time, senators exercising this role must rely on gauzy assurances and strained analogies to the candidate’s performance in previous positions.
    — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of analogy
Noun
  • Isla’s mother, Chloe Howell, said the tween loves to crack jokes at home and came up with the funny simile herself.
    — Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
  • An image may resonate with deeper meanings (that’s what great directors can bring about), but the compression and displacement that make the simile devastating on the page have no cinematic equivalent.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
Definition of simile
Noun
  • This is nothing more than a euphemism for encouraging less citizen input and involvement in determining city policies and spending priorities.
    — Joseph Landers, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Sam Roberts, a longtime obituarist for the New York Times, wants to banish the euphemisms that attend death.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of euphemism
Noun
  • In their desperation to sound unique, applicants often think too outside the box, trying out unusual formats, elaborate metaphors, or intentionally quirky topics in an effort to seem memorable.
    — Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Being the kind of person who adorns themselves compulsively opens you up to a slew of corny metaphors that, against your will, feel deeply relevant to you.
    — Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of metaphor
Noun
  • But in terms of its actual content, the statement was pretty thin gruel, bristling with public relations-style circumlocution and vagueness.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
  • 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
Definition of circumlocution

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codevelopers
code word
code words
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Cite this Entry

“Code word.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/code%20word. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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