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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of figurative
An homage to millions of anonymous victims, the work implicitly rebukes the nearby figurative sculptures of slaveholders.
—
Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Though her early figurative sculptures like The Great Blessing of Abraham and Angel of Joshua are overt in their religious references, her abstract Burntworks feel no less reverent.
—Grace Edquist, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
Mixing and matching styles, abstract with figurative, oils with watercolors, sketches with photos, can create visual interest.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Oct. 2025
Onstage, figurative images steal focus from the music.
—Alma Rota, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for figurative
Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Though her early figurative sculptures like The Great Blessing of Abraham and Angel of Joshua are overt in their religious references, her abstract Burntworks feel no less reverent.
—Grace Edquist, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
Mixing and matching styles, abstract with figurative, oils with watercolors, sketches with photos, can create visual interest.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Oct. 2025
Onstage, figurative images steal focus from the music.
—Alma Rota, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for figurative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figurative
Adjective
-
In my own life there was nothing metaphorical about the moving of those tectonic plates.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The journey has been metaphorical, too.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The figural birds are crafted in platinum and 18-karat gold with gemstones — appearing to perch upon the wearer.—
Thomas Waller,
Footwear News,
2 Sep. 2025
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As we are never returned to any figural baseline, our eyes are increasingly ungrounded.—
Jan Tumlir,
Artforum,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Stripped to their symbolic essence, the erotics of Frankenstein are about the body as meat, electrified by carnal pleasure and unencumbered by the soul.—
Katie Rife,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
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Russian forces appear to be on the brink of finally seizing the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a symbolic victory that President Vladimir Putin has been pursuing for 21 months at an increasingly heavy cost.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Figurative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figurative. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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