1
as in metaphors
an elaborate or fanciful way of expressing something
the conceit that the crowd at the outdoor rock concert was a vast sea of people waving to the beat of the music
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in illusions
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
his dream of swimming in the Olympics is nothing more than a conceit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in imagines
to form a mental picture of
after a huge meal like that, I cannot conceit eating another thing for the rest of the day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of conceits
John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Nov. 2025
But even her most impish conceits are undergirded by a fundamental conviction, a belief in the power of art to wake the dead.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025
One of Weapons’ conceits is its chapter structure centering on particular characters, and sources say that Cregger actually had a chapter focused on Gladys and some of her backstory.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
All the conceits of a true-crime film are there – the lead detective interviews, shaky images from police-cams, the salacious headlines, the nauseating crime scene photos, the TV news reports, teary interviews with friends and family.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
There’s something about those ideas that are big, silly, cinematic, surreal conceits that drew me in.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Nov. 2025
But even her most impish conceits are undergirded by a fundamental conviction, a belief in the power of art to wake the dead.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025
One of Weapons’ conceits is its chapter structure centering on particular characters, and sources say that Cregger actually had a chapter focused on Gladys and some of her backstory.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
All the conceits of a true-crime film are there – the lead detective interviews, shaky images from police-cams, the salacious headlines, the nauseating crime scene photos, the TV news reports, teary interviews with friends and family.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conceits
Noun
-
Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 Super Bowl halftime show used a variety of costumes and props as metaphors for America's ongoing racial and political divisions.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
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You’re surrounded by cartoon obstacles, fake pirates and a giant dinosaur — all metaphors that don’t require explanation.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Rybakina was under more scoreboard pressure in her service games, but Sabalenka’s opportunities were mostly illusions.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
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Saturn brings accountability, Neptune dissolves illusions and Aries demands action.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Set inside the world’s most popular video game, the film imagines a next-gen AI system that allows in-game characters to become sentient, shifting the game from entertainment into a living universe that awakens, evolves and begins interacting with human beings.—
Emiliano De Pablos,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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In The Unknown, Cale has arranged a series of deft, destabilizing plot turns about the stalker who Elliott imagines is tracking him.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Believe it or not, American free skier Nick Goepper, a three-time Olympic medalist, thinks growing up in Indiana—a location that doesn’t exactly conjure up visions of powdery snow and ski chalets—worked to his advantage.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
18 Feb. 2026
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In thrall to visions of virtual apocalypse, Land soon saw his life fall apart.—
James Duesterberg,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The core of key contributors across Cherundolo’s tenure plus remaining players from the class who arrived in the same window as Son – center back Ryan Porteous and midfielder Mathieu Choinière – were bolstered by transfers who align with how Dos Santos envisions LAFC challenging opponents.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
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MirrorMe envisions Bolt as a training partner that can run alongside elite athletes, hold a steady pace and push limits without getting tired.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And now masked Proud Boys can cosplay their paramilitary fantasies, shatter our Constitutional rights, and disappear humans while the federal government flippantly threatens its citizens with the Insurrection Act and Aliens Enemies Act.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
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Barbie is a Pisces, after all, so go ahead and embrace your Barbie World fantasies with a head-to-toe pink outfit.—
Katherine J Igoe,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The pressure of performing on the big stage can be overwhelming, but being on that stage is what every athlete dreams about.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The fire sign is a direct, bold, fiery, passionate force to be reckoned with, which is ideal for anyone who dreams of an adventurous, perhaps even globetrotting affair.—
Maressa Brown,
InStyle,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Shortly after, the book began to take shape, with new elements often arriving in vivid daydreams and eerie nightmares.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
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And like the iconic Orient-Express (whose original route has been revived by Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient-Express), the Champagne flutes, suited servers, and glossy design of this locomotive hold a seductive potential for daydreams and drama.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conceits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conceits. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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