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
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Recent Examples of idioms
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
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
These days, Andersen has the idioms flying in Carolina’s locker room.
—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
The Western musical tradition is mostly sidelined in favor of kuduro, gqom, batida, and sounds too free of familiar musical idioms to be easily categorized.
—
Will Lynch,
Pitchfork,
11 May 2026
If the assignment is to translate something from a foreign language, there are plenty of tools and resources that can do it for you, including by recognizing and figuratively translating idioms.
—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub,
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
These days, Andersen has the idioms flying in Carolina’s locker room.
—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
The Western musical tradition is mostly sidelined in favor of kuduro, gqom, batida, and sounds too free of familiar musical idioms to be easily categorized.
—
Will Lynch,
Pitchfork,
11 May 2026
If the assignment is to translate something from a foreign language, there are plenty of tools and resources that can do it for you, including by recognizing and figuratively translating idioms.
—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idioms
phrases
Noun
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Vermeule—a former clerk for Scalia—proposes that conservatives should read the Constitution’s ambiguous phrases and general structure in an openly moral way, drawing on principles grounded in the nature and purposes of government.
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The debate playing out in Kausen’s kitchen is repeated in homes across California and the country, where varying phrases on food packaging have long left shoppers unsure whether food is simply past its peak quality or unsafe to eat.
Cite this Entry
“Idioms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idioms. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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