as in analogy
an elaborate or fanciful way of expressing something
"it's raining cats and dogs" is just a colorful metaphor and not a meteorological announcement
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Recent Examples of metaphor
Bird and visitors are, for Urbano, ideal metaphors for the citizens of Utopia, a place beyond reach yet accessible through the uchronic resources of poetry and symbol.
—
Javier Montes, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Throughout the nighttime soap, Margo lies, cheats, and steals in the name of herself and her Republican politician husband, and her wig eventually felt like a metaphor for her general façade.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026
The year 2025 was more tumultuous than any silly football game and its accompanying overwrought metaphors.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
In Augustine’s Confessions, interfering with a special tree is a metaphor for sin itself.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for metaphor
Javier Montes, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Throughout the nighttime soap, Margo lies, cheats, and steals in the name of herself and her Republican politician husband, and her wig eventually felt like a metaphor for her general façade.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026
The year 2025 was more tumultuous than any silly football game and its accompanying overwrought metaphors.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
In Augustine’s Confessions, interfering with a special tree is a metaphor for sin itself.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for metaphor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for metaphor
analogy
Noun
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In that analogy, Freeman already was the Stafford of this search.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
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The coincidence has invited an avalanche of historical analogies.—
Cristina Guevara,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Video
When Body Parts Are Also Verbs
Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes
Cite this Entry
“Metaphor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/metaphor. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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