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
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 metaphor
So with that metaphor in mind, how might Chicago Med be approaching Hannah’s pregnancy this Fall TV season in light of Fire’s recent pregnancy twist?
—
Claire Franken, TVLine, 4 Oct. 2025
Its pointed lyrics and dark metaphors have led many to dissect not only Swift’s personal experiences with industry executives but the broader realities facing young artists in the music business today.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
For Enwezor, Simpson’s work bears witness to a passage from representation to historicity in the course of which an individual becomes a metaphor for a group that is more than the sum of its parts.
—Simon Njami, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Relying heavily on metaphor and imagery to communicate the season's true villain, the finale doesn't stick the landing (more like gets stuck in it), but when assessed comprehensively, the result is no less devastating.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for metaphor
Claire Franken, TVLine, 4 Oct. 2025
Its pointed lyrics and dark metaphors have led many to dissect not only Swift’s personal experiences with industry executives but the broader realities facing young artists in the music business today.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
For Enwezor, Simpson’s work bears witness to a passage from representation to historicity in the course of which an individual becomes a metaphor for a group that is more than the sum of its parts.
—Simon Njami, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Relying heavily on metaphor and imagery to communicate the season's true villain, the finale doesn't stick the landing (more like gets stuck in it), but when assessed comprehensively, the result is no less devastating.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for metaphor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for metaphor
analogy
Noun
-
Going back to the novel-shredding analogy, imagine trying to reassemble the book after it was shredded into pieces only 1 centimeter square rather than 5.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
2 Oct. 2025
-
To be clear, this is only an analogy and shouldn’t be taken too far.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
2 Oct. 2025
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 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share