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Recent Examples of dead metaphor
The media are somewhat responsible, so apologies for beating a dead metaphor.
—
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2026
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
This shift reminds us that dead metaphors aren’t always terminally dead.
—Rob Nixon, Smithsonian, 23 Mar. 2018
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2026
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
This shift reminds us that dead metaphors aren’t always terminally dead.
—Rob Nixon, Smithsonian, 23 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead metaphor
Noun
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That is why a simple family code word can help stop panic before money changes hands.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
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When the MPKs didn’t know the Marines’ secret code word, the Marines slaughtered them and then shrugged and walked away from all their dead bodies to stay on mission (as in, kill more Marsies).—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Noun
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The Execution Crisis Defined Rasmus Holst, CEO of Zensai, describes it without euphemism.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
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Willmett and Harris are clearly uninterested in euphemisms, so there’s an exaggerated naivety to their lyrics.—
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
8 June 2026
Noun
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The intent was beautiful; the analogy of daily deposits.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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The best analogy to direct democracy in contemporary life is jury duty, which generally seems to go better than anyone expects.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Noun
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The real cost of waiting The oxygen mask metaphor exists for a reason.—
Rhett Power,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
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While humans thrive on ambiguity, context, metaphor and inference, machines generally perform better when information is categorized, tagged, labeled and linked in ways that reduce uncertainty.—
Sreedhar Potarazu,
Baltimore Sun,
20 June 2026
Noun
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Dryden’s famous simile, from La Fontaine’s own century, likens a translator who copies too closely to a man dancing on ropes with fettered legs: careful, precise, but never graceful.—
Jan Steyn,
The Dial,
10 Mar. 2026
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Salazar-Thompson’s witty script — packed with hilarious metaphors and similes (like comparing a woman’s firm grip on her purse to that of a two-toed sloth on a branch) — make for a consistently amusing trip back in time.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dead metaphor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20metaphor. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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