1
as in sermon
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 cliche
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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Recent Examples of homily
The Mass was in Latin, but the homilies were in their own languages, delivered by pastors who shared their heritage.
—
Geraldo Cadava, New Yorker, 22 May 2025
Homily — Leo delivers his homily in Italian, possibly previewing his vision for the church.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 18 May 2025
It could be argued that prioritizing joint-ventures over human-rights homilies cedes soft power to Beijing.
—Guney Yildiz, Forbes.com, 13 May 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
See All Example Sentences for homily
Geraldo Cadava, New Yorker, 22 May 2025
Homily — Leo delivers his homily in Italian, possibly previewing his vision for the church.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 18 May 2025
It could be argued that prioritizing joint-ventures over human-rights homilies cedes soft power to Beijing.
—Guney Yildiz, Forbes.com, 13 May 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
See All Example Sentences for homily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for homily
Noun
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Pastor Turner’s Sunday (October 12) sermon centered on seeing the divine in the most improbable and unlikely relationships—a message that resonated amid the city’s tense atmosphere.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
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Zion Church, with about 5,000 regular worshipers across nearly 50 cities, rapidly added members during the Covid-19 pandemic through Zoom sermons and small in-person gatherings, Long said.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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To borrow a cliche, the M’s feel like the team of destiny.—
The Athletic MLB Staff,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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Mentality is the critical factor here because, as the cliche goes, the defining feature of any champion team is securing victory in the face of adversity or underperformance.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Survivors need concrete safety and justice, not spiritual platitudes.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
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My first true attempts at poetry were self-guided, painfully rhymed, drenched in abstractions and exhausted platitudes.—
Via Scribner,
Literary Hub,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There is an outright rejection of bromides that would give us some conclusion of reassurance.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Blood testing showed a bromide level that was hundreds of times above normal.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This punishing process, thread by thread, inch by inch, keeps luridness from sinking into banality.—
Jerry Saltz,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
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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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The friends who are giving their commentary don’t have a penny in that nickel, as the saying goes.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
12 Oct. 2025
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The saying, ‘never meet your heroes’ simply does not apply here.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
10 Oct. 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
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One ironclad truism about sports is that all streaks eventually come to an end.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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His tale has become a proverb for any outdoor fanatic who, despite all of the proper planning and preparation, is undone by forces more powerful than him or herself.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
7 Oct. 2025
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On the other hand, perhaps this is one of those rare and unforeseen opportunities that give rise to the proverb of no guts, no glory.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Homily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homily. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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