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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Different industries use various code words, shorthand, and lingo to communicate.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Mar. 2026
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Some of his code words, moreover, have wider currency in the administration.—
Andreas Kluth,
Mercury News,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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When Oklahoma missed out on the NCAA Tournament, AD Roger Denny announced that coach Porter Moser was staying and offered up one of the great euphemisms of this era.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Now there were no euphemisms for Germany’s leader.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There are analogies to the suspense that a pregnant woman must feel.—
Caleb Crain,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Or pretty much any analogy for scoring in a major contest usually reserved for broadcast television.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Each winner received a token, another metaphor.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Metaphorical thinking enhances learning by linking new concepts to familiar patterns, fostering creative problem-solving among non-experts, and aiding memory retention through vivid imagery, while expanding one's metaphor store through diverse topics can boost creativity in specialized fields.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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Along with another allusion to his quip about Lucien’s death, that simile establishes the Anglo-Irish author as a terrifying counter-example of homosexual exposure.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dead metaphor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20metaphor. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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