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 platitudes
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of homilies
Cole’s canvases were synthetic constructions teeming with homilies.
—
Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
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
Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for homilies
Noun
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The fracas played out in heated sermons, editorials, and denominational meetings.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
-
His father was a Southern Baptist minister, and his Sunday morning sermons were broadcast on the radio in the afternoons.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
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What is in danger is that this will strip away the soul, the raw humanity actors like Jim Handy brough to each role and replace it with flat, generalized platitudes.—
Carl Kurlander,
Deadline,
13 June 2026
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The second was that, along with the platitudes about resilience, attendees were unusually honest about the Gulf’s predicament.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Strapping’s product mix is equal parts practical and playful, from tasteful housewares to apparel and linens with sassy sayings.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
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Unfortunately and annoyingly, sometimes sayings like that are repeated so much for a reason.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
12 June 2026
Noun
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The president used similar bromides in private calls to assuage allies, including Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson, before launching the war in February, according to people familiar with the conversations.—
Vivian Salama,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
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While these songs might appear to be somewhat straightforward EBM that wear their politics on their latex sleeve, there’s a level of ambiguity at work that moves Kissing Luck Goodbye past its own bromides and into deeper artistic territory.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At this year’s Thorpe ceremony, too, Barron and Dennard — men of faith — bonded over Proverbs 27:17, talking about Barron’s future.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
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For nine months, Erasmus spent his short nights in a modest dorm and his long days in the print shop, expanding on his collection of proverbs Adagiorum chiliades while Aldus proofread, craftsman carefully laying sets of print and rolling paper through the press.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
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One effect of this austerity and repression is to focus attention on Albee’s language, with its slippery banalities and barbs.—
Steven Winn,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
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As far back as the Victorian era, exchanging a few banalities was part of a veritable social code—a way of signaling both politeness and boundaries.—
Jeanne Ballion,
Vogue,
27 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Spain’s success over the past five years has undermined many long-standing political-economic truisms.—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
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The play isn’t subtle; the final sequence leans hard on truisms about addiction and trauma, which are affecting but overly explicit.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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How Michelle Obama has responded to criticism The Obamas have long faced racist tropes, and there has been a constant barrage of online abuse against Michelle.—
Jennifer Hassan,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
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The life of the 28-year-old Euphoria breakout was engulfed in controversy last year over a campaign for the fashion brand American Eagle that some accused of trafficking in racist tropes.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Homilies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homilies. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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