idioms

plural of idiom
as in phrases
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?"

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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 idioms Cinema is, after all, a language, and Belgian filmmakers come from a country built on the need to understand language as a bridge—between its regions, its people, and its idioms. Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026 There are plenty of idioms to describe Andrean outside hitter Aleece Ehler’s freshman season. Noah Poser, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026 On the one hand, the translation serves as a source for the idioms of nineteenth-century English; on the other, as evidence of the ideas that the translator held about a Colombian woman writer. Literary Hub, 1 July 2026 The film’s look is inspired by ink wash paintings and wood blocks, moving fluidly between different visual idioms. Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026 Out of love for different sound systems, different writing systems, different grammars, different sets of concepts, different idioms, different ways of seeing the world. Douglas Hofstadter, Time, 30 June 2026 Language is often a reflection of the culture that shapes it, impacting tone, idioms, dialects and even silence across regions. Ryan Kolln, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 Probably because at the time many of the time signatures and chordal progressions that Miles used were over the head of a young guitar player still functioning in the blues and folk idioms. Steve Baltin, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026 The festival, which is organized by West German Radio and has been running in its current form since 1969, favors experimental idioms that customarily avoid obvious political messaging or clear cultural signposts. Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idioms
phrases
Noun
  • The screening of grants for phrases, and the broader imposition of political priorities on grant funding, has been unmooring for researchers.
    Anil Oza, STAT, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Has the internet made keeping up with the ever-evolving glossary of new phrases feel borderline impossible?
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Idioms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idioms. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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