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
Against that backdrop, The Bennett Prize — a biennial award for women painters working in figurative realism — just raised its grand prize from $50,000 to $75,000.
—
The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Charleston, alongside Felix, writes in a Black diasporic tradition that uses the abstract and figurative to name, address, and illuminate the materiality of Black life in the wake of chattel slavery.
—Literary Hub, 7 Apr. 2026
Anderson is a figurative painter in the great tradition of Bacon, Freud and Auerbach.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 3 Apr. 2026
The following list presents the ten tallest figurative freestanding statues in the world according to their heights, excluding base-structure height and topographical elevation.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for figurative
The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Charleston, alongside Felix, writes in a Black diasporic tradition that uses the abstract and figurative to name, address, and illuminate the materiality of Black life in the wake of chattel slavery.
—Literary Hub, 7 Apr. 2026
Anderson is a figurative painter in the great tradition of Bacon, Freud and Auerbach.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 3 Apr. 2026
The following list presents the ten tallest figurative freestanding statues in the world according to their heights, excluding base-structure height and topographical elevation.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for figurative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figurative
Adjective
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The Chicago White Sox gave a metaphorical game ball to a World War II veteran, naming him their hero of the game.—
CBS Chicago Team,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Both Haymes and Potteiger later insisted that their remarks were not sincere expressions of violent intent, but rather metaphorical calls for Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian, to find salvation in their brand of Christianity.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 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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Several European countries sent just a few soldiers each to the massive island off the coast of Canada in a highly symbolic display of solidarity with Denmark.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
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But what Danielson says was intended as a symbolic protest escalated dramatically amid paranoid fantasies, prosaic miscommunications, and the false report of a gun.—
Tessa Stuart,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Figurative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figurative. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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