as in phrase
a sequence of words having a specific meaning
the English idiom "how are you doing?" is our version of a greeting that in some other languages can be translated as "how are you going?"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of idiom
Those books introduced me to a vision of American teenage life and taught me the rhythms and idioms of American English, nuances that would later replace my Britishisms and shape my career as a journalist.
—
Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Next to the particularities of place—the Midwest, the South—or enmeshed with it, are the particularities of language, of idiom, and ways of saying.
—Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
All's fair in love and war — an idiom that Cressida (second from left, played by Jessica Madsen) and her meddling mama would do well to remember while courting the Prince!
—Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Created in 1947, the Doomsday Clock was created to convey threats to humanity and the Earth using the imagery of apocalypse (midnight) and the contemporary idiom of nuclear explosion (countdown to zero).
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for idiom
Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Next to the particularities of place—the Midwest, the South—or enmeshed with it, are the particularities of language, of idiom, and ways of saying.
—Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
All's fair in love and war — an idiom that Cressida (second from left, played by Jessica Madsen) and her meddling mama would do well to remember while courting the Prince!
—Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Created in 1947, the Doomsday Clock was created to convey threats to humanity and the Earth using the imagery of apocalypse (midnight) and the contemporary idiom of nuclear explosion (countdown to zero).
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for idiom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idiom
Noun
-
The phrase had the cadence of a punchline without a joke, and people kept repeating it.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
-
That single phrase blew up across the internet.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These cases recognize that attacks on artists are attacks on collective expression itself.—
Christina Hioureas,
Rolling Stone,
22 Mar. 2026
-
But the federal buildings constructed over the next 2½ centuries display a remarkable range of expressions that are representative of the evolving aspirations of the country.—
Edward Keegan,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idiom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idiom. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
