as in metaphoric
expressing one thing in terms normally used for another
the figurative use of "allergy" to mean "a feeling of dislike"
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Recent Examples of figurative
Harrison Bader put a figurative dent into a baseball.
—
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
Literal and figurative pain points included ensuring each piece properly conducting electricity, rigging every square with mechanical keyboard switches to facilitate the connections, and countless unintentional jolts.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 26 Feb. 2026
Luxury compact sedans are even more ideal, a car with many of the features of an S-Class but without the weight, both literal and figurative.
—Kyle Hyatt, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2026
Harmonia Rosales’ Black figurative paintings combine Eurocentric artistic traditions with African diasporic cosmologies as a way to course-correct the historical erasure of Black images from classical narratives.
—Evan Nicole Brown, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for figurative
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
Literal and figurative pain points included ensuring each piece properly conducting electricity, rigging every square with mechanical keyboard switches to facilitate the connections, and countless unintentional jolts.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 26 Feb. 2026
Luxury compact sedans are even more ideal, a car with many of the features of an S-Class but without the weight, both literal and figurative.
—Kyle Hyatt, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2026
Harmonia Rosales’ Black figurative paintings combine Eurocentric artistic traditions with African diasporic cosmologies as a way to course-correct the historical erasure of Black images from classical narratives.
—Evan Nicole Brown, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for figurative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figurative
Adjective
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Keeping this in mind, continue ahead for mind-bending travel destinations—some covered in mist, yes, others of the metaphorical variety.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
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Wright said the platform avoids comparing metaphorical apples to oranges and instead translates it into apples to apples.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The holders come in a set of two, adorned with figural bunnies.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Mar. 2026
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However, giving in to January’s grayness — both literal and figural — is not the only option.—
Morayo Ogunbayo,
AJC.com,
1 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The joint march across the Tower Bridge in front of the state Capitol marked a symbolic moment of a unified effort to urge education reform not just in the capital city, but throughout the state.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
12 Mar. 2026
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At the center of VNCCII’s mythology is the Tuning Fork, a symbolic tool that represents alignment with Source.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Figurative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figurative. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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