dead metaphor

noun

Definition of dead metaphornext
as in code word

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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 dead metaphor 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead metaphor
  1. code word
  2. euphemism
  3. analogy
  4. metaphor
  5. simile
Noun
  • Hyun’s solution is to agree on a code word that only the two of you know.
    — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Some couples and families even choose a code word that means the conversation is pausing, Wilson says—not that the relationship is disappearing.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of code word
Noun
  • Coolly, Violet responds that to avoid alarming the public, a few agitators have beenneutralized—now there’s a sticky euphemism—and their deaths passed off as revenge killings among drug traffickers.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Orwell was exploring the roles that euphemism, tangled syntax, and dying metaphors can play in obscuring the true intentions of a totalitarian state.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of euphemism
Noun
  • The scene serves as an intimate and visceral analogy to the more diffuse horrors of war.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • In this analogy, Anderson would be ironing out logistics like camera angles or lighting.
    — Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of analogy
Noun
  • Most composers settle for metaphor when conveying the elements.
    — Shauna Lyon, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The room went still, and nobody asked him to explain the metaphor.
    — Amanda Connelly, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of metaphor
Noun
  • In this way, simile and metaphor stretch beyond what’s possible to bring us closer to what’s true.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of simile

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deadly
dead metaphor
dead metaphors
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Cite this Entry

“Dead metaphor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20metaphor. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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