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
In Times of Dragons [Universal/Fontana] Dealing with demons is nothing new for Tori Amos, but on her 18th studio album, there’s little that’s figurative about the struggle between human good and Trumpian evil.
—
Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
Wall Street—to use the term in its figurative sense—would like its customers to make money, but what truly causes its denizens’ juices to flow is feverish activity.
—Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
For centuries figurative sculptors have found ways to render their subjects in motion.
—Dawn Chan, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Each of us moves through a world strewn with figurative mountains and molehills, continually assessing what matters more and what matters less.
—Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for figurative
Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
Wall Street—to use the term in its figurative sense—would like its customers to make money, but what truly causes its denizens’ juices to flow is feverish activity.
—Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
For centuries figurative sculptors have found ways to render their subjects in motion.
—Dawn Chan, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Each of us moves through a world strewn with figurative mountains and molehills, continually assessing what matters more and what matters less.
—Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for figurative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figurative
Adjective
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The water is colored by the tamarack tree, kind of a root-beer color, which is a beautiful balance to all the greens — and just the metaphorical symbolic significance of it is really profound.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
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The strange, perfect irony of Prada 2 What makes The Devil Wears Prada 2 genuinely unusual is that the film itself is a critique of the very promise that made the original aspirational, not just a bitter statement on the current media zeitgeist but a metaphorical meditation on Hollywood’s fate.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
Adjective
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The number distilled the North Beach revue (which closed New Year’s Eve 2019) famous for its oversized figural hats, musical parodies and fairy-tale characters into 11.5 minutes.—
Culture Critic,
San Francisco Chronicle,
13 Mar. 2026
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The holders come in a set of two, adorned with figural bunnies.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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During a brief appearance in front of the cameras, the pope gave Rubio the symbolic gift of an olive-wood pen.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
7 May 2026
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Once the most powerful jobs in television, evening anchors like Tony Dokoupil now occupy a more symbolic perch.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Figurative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figurative. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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