as in proverb
an often stated observation regarding something from common experience
it's a common maxim that "a watched pot never boils," but that's not literally true
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Recent Examples of maxim
By now, decades into Americans’ pursuit of cooking as a mainstream hobby, certain maxims have become near-law among food lovers.
—
Emily Heil, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2026
Ash found success by attending revival-style sales conventions and memorizing every smile, wink, and maxim in the Stanley songbook.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
There are three problems with this maxim.
—Tad Friend, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Still, that leaves a substantial audience who will find much to enjoy in this grisly yet sensitive take on the old maxim that every baby is different.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for maxim
Emily Heil, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2026
Ash found success by attending revival-style sales conventions and memorizing every smile, wink, and maxim in the Stanley songbook.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
There are three problems with this maxim.
—Tad Friend, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Still, that leaves a substantial audience who will find much to enjoy in this grisly yet sensitive take on the old maxim that every baby is different.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for maxim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maxim
Noun
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What does the phrase squeaky bum time, the racehorse Devon Loch, and the Portuguese proverb ‘morrer na prais’ all have in common?—
Ian Irving,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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The rooms The old Japanese proverb ‘*kachou fuugetsu’—*which translates as ‘flower, bird, wind, moon’ evoking a sense of the transient beauty of nature—is a key concept at the hotel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But the saying can also apply in the traditional sense, explaining that favoritism, and biases, are a part of life, society, business and sport, and everyone must find a way to play the hand they are dealt.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
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Age and guile, as the old saying goes, beat youth and skill every time.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
Noun
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The game’s objective is to group words or objects into four groups of four based on commonalities within each group as quickly as possible.—
Mark Cooper,
New York Times,
8 June 2026
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Already, attention must be paid, and italics must be used, because eyepatch Armand is, to use his favorite word, fascinating.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
Noun
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My motto actually comes from coming up in restaurant world.—
Emily Elias,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 June 2026
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Like the Texas motto, the fashion is bigger here, meaning people aren’t afraid to dress boldly.—
Alyssa Morin,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Balancing the art and the commerce is the old adage, but that’s also true.—
Keith Murphy,
VIBE.com,
7 June 2026
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The old adage says that one bad apple can spoil the bunch.—
Holly Corbett,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maxim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maxim. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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