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
The agricultural metaphor captures both sides.
—
Maria A. Rodas, The Conversation, 3 June 2026
The songs are representative of teams via lyrics, metaphors and just overall vibes.
—Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 2 June 2026
That Shakti or the feminine energy, the force that animates the atom, that pulls the river toward the sea, that moves through every act of creation, is not a metaphor for the feminine.
—Vogue, 1 June 2026
Vinod made the idea operational through a metaphor every executive can understand.
—Brian Solis, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for metaphor
Maria A. Rodas, The Conversation, 3 June 2026
The songs are representative of teams via lyrics, metaphors and just overall vibes.
—Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 2 June 2026
That Shakti or the feminine energy, the force that animates the atom, that pulls the river toward the sea, that moves through every act of creation, is not a metaphor for the feminine.
—Vogue, 1 June 2026
Vinod made the idea operational through a metaphor every executive can understand.
—Brian Solis, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for metaphor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for metaphor
analogy
Noun
-
In a popular analogy, the fabric of space-time is like the flat expanse of a mattress, and a massive object like a star is like a bowling ball sitting on top.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
3 June 2026
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But these are not normal times, and the historical analogy does not hold.—
David S. Cohen,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 May 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 8 Jun. 2026.
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