1
as in sermons
a public speech usually by a member of the clergy for the purpose of giving moral guidance or uplift
last Sunday's homily was about being kind to your neighbors
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in cliches
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
a TV movie filled with the usual hokey homilies about people triumphing over life's adversities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of homilies
No lectures, no homilies, no empty words.
—
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
In his fiery homilies, the Monsignor seems to target one new congregation member per week, pushing for the victory of a walkout.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
In his fiery homilies, the Monsignor seems to target one new congregation member per week, pushing for the victory of a walkout.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for homilies
Noun
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After 2018, Jin transformed Zion Church into a semi-virtual network, uploading sermons online and encouraging members around the country to gather and watch sessions together.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
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Two men who represent two different bastions of power — God and country — in Oklahoma are making sermons of a kind.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The drama veers from the usual sports-movie cliches by exploring mental health and eating disorders with a dose of psychological horror.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
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New novels are rightly praised for breaking with traditional forms and criticized for turning to stale formulas and cliches.—
Nathaniel Moore
September 10,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Continue reading … BLIND LOYALTY – Karine Jean-Pierre has rocky rollout for book as reviews pan Biden defense, platitudes.—
,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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Survivors need concrete safety and justice, not spiritual platitudes.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Amish are part of the wider Anabaptist movement, which puts heavy emphasis on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, containing some of his most radical and counter-cultural sayings — to love enemies, live simply, bless persecutors, turn the other cheek and to endure sufferings joyfully.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
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The Workers’ Party of Korea is the sole ruling party of North Korea, blending communism with the words, sayings and ideals of the Kim dynasty, who have imposed their authoritarian rule on the country for three generations.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There is an outright rejection of bromides that would give us some conclusion of reassurance.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
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Incidents of such poisoning saw a sharp decline when the Food and Drug Administration phased out the use of bromides in pharmaceuticals between the mid 70s and late 1980s.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The lyrics, some inspired by proverbs and biblical passages, convey the fervor of his first love with God, without losing his personal touch.—
Jessica Roiz,
Billboard,
17 Oct. 2025
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Reading Proverbs did not manage to enlighten me to the possibility that my parents’ rules were devised in my best interest.—
Meghan O’Gieblyn,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Written by Noah Oppenheim, Bigelow’s real-time thriller about the banalities and actualities of a fictional-in-premise-only nuclear attack on the United States is Netflix’s best horse in the race at the Oscars this year.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But the movie’s soft-hearted underbelly fails to support that reading, and by the time the story finally arrives at its final moments, the unsparing cynicism that supplied its initial lift has been dragged back down to Earth by the weight of bland truisms.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Homilies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homilies. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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