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
Here, the sado-sensual yearning of the Confederacy to instantiate itself through the fetishes and reliquaries of figurative sculpture is shown as hollow, impotent, all too discomfiting, and very real.
—
Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 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
The idea underpinning this film is that when two friends get together, there are both literal and figurative eruptions.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 17 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
See All Example Sentences for figurative
Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 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
The idea underpinning this film is that when two friends get together, there are both literal and figurative eruptions.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 17 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
See All Example Sentences for figurative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figurative
Adjective
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The metaphorical mountain is something Robbins also became deeply connected to throughout the career-elevating process of writing Apex.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Apr. 2026
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Since one of the metaphorical aspects of the script concerns how swiftly conflicts can flare up from small disagreements into major knock-down-drag-out fights, showing the violence and bared-teeth snarling is appropriate, a lighter touch could work, too.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
28 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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Schools now feverishly compete to prepare graduates with simplistic educational remedies driven by competitive branding agendas, providing symbolic curriculum overhauls as recruiting and job-placement signals, regardless of whether such courses share a coherent body of core knowledge.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
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This growing reliance on such frameworks underscores the industry’s shift from symbolic commitments toward practical implementation of due diligence and credible sustainability practices.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Figurative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figurative. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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