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
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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
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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Kish won’t use magic during sermons.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
This was evident in the themes of his sermons.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But for UConn, the platitudes feel profoundly honest.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
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Donovan reiterated a series of platitudes that haven’t changed during his time with the Bulls.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The chef wrote around 40 sayings and gathered more from his Instagram followers.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
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The final section contains a collection of Akbar’s epigrammatic sayings.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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Disruption without construction Instructors burned out with the current situation endure a barrage of repetitive bromides.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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Includes quirky facts, adages, advice, quotes and proverbs, as well as articles about mistletoe, bird nests, perennials, timekeeping, recipes and more.—
Alex Perry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 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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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
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One of the truisms in the past for Team Canada at some best-on-best events is needing a few games to find its game.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
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While embracing familiar tropes, They Cloned Tyrone weaves an original story that stands out as a diamond in the thick of many Netflix duds.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Apr. 2026
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But much of Orbán’s criticism of the Central European University has been directed personally at Soros, who is Jewish, often deploying antisemitic tropes in what has become a crusade against the billionaire philanthropist.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Homilies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homilies. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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