as in code word
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Recent Examples of dead metaphor
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
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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Was there literally a code word?—
Benjamin Siegel,
ABC News,
21 Oct. 2025
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Hughes went on to note the use of code words, particularly in a tactical environment.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 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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This produces an incredibly dense representation of usages and meanings, in which analogy becomes a matter of geometry.—
James Somers,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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Regarding the question about the future of sports betting, especially the prop betting market, King gave a perfect analogy.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The novella is a haunted house, dual point of view ride where the metaphors from the top down are consistently delivered.—
Amber McBride,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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The metaphor for business organizations has long been the machine.—
Jana Werner,
Harvard Business Review,
5 Nov. 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
Cite this Entry
“Dead metaphor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20metaphor. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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