variants
or metaphorical
as in figurative
expressing one thing in terms normally used for another
an author fond of such metaphorical phrases as "the desert was a fiery furnace"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of metaphoric
The water is colored by the tamarack tree, kind of a root-beer color, which is a beautiful balance to all the greens — and just the metaphorical symbolic significance of it is really profound.
—
Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026
The strange, perfect irony of Prada 2 What makes The Devil Wears Prada 2 genuinely unusual is that the film itself is a critique of the very promise that made the original aspirational, not just a bitter statement on the current media zeitgeist but a metaphorical meditation on Hollywood’s fate.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 May 2026
The metaphorical mountain is something Robbins also became deeply connected to throughout the career-elevating process of writing Apex.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
Since one of the metaphorical aspects of the script concerns how swiftly conflicts can flare up from small disagreements into major knock-down-drag-out fights, showing the violence and bared-teeth snarling is appropriate, a lighter touch could work, too.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
The Purchasing Decision Model In understanding the cognitive processes used in purchasing decisions, some researchers have employed the concept of the black box, a metaphorical construction used to describe the cognitive and affective processes used by a consumer during a buying decision.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
The Chicago White Sox gave a metaphorical game ball to a World War II veteran, naming him their hero of the game.
—Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Both Haymes and Potteiger later insisted that their remarks were not sincere expressions of violent intent, but rather metaphorical calls for Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian, to find salvation in their brand of Christianity.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
Something natural decay shares with human indifference and brutality—war, waste, and rot, literal and metaphorical.
—Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026
The strange, perfect irony of Prada 2 What makes The Devil Wears Prada 2 genuinely unusual is that the film itself is a critique of the very promise that made the original aspirational, not just a bitter statement on the current media zeitgeist but a metaphorical meditation on Hollywood’s fate.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 May 2026
The metaphorical mountain is something Robbins also became deeply connected to throughout the career-elevating process of writing Apex.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
Since one of the metaphorical aspects of the script concerns how swiftly conflicts can flare up from small disagreements into major knock-down-drag-out fights, showing the violence and bared-teeth snarling is appropriate, a lighter touch could work, too.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
The Purchasing Decision Model In understanding the cognitive processes used in purchasing decisions, some researchers have employed the concept of the black box, a metaphorical construction used to describe the cognitive and affective processes used by a consumer during a buying decision.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
The Chicago White Sox gave a metaphorical game ball to a World War II veteran, naming him their hero of the game.
—Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Both Haymes and Potteiger later insisted that their remarks were not sincere expressions of violent intent, but rather metaphorical calls for Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian, to find salvation in their brand of Christianity.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
Something natural decay shares with human indifference and brutality—war, waste, and rot, literal and metaphorical.
—Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for metaphoric
Adjective
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And then to add insult to that heaping helping of figurative injury, the nachos took some collateral damage and were effectively ruined.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
From the scandal of his early figurative work in the 1960s, through the upside-down paintings that became his signature, to the wooden figures shown at the 1980 Venice Biennale that appeared to salute like broken monuments, his practice was defined by disruption.—
George Nelson,
ARTnews.com,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The number distilled the North Beach revue (which closed New Year’s Eve 2019) famous for its oversized figural hats, musical parodies and fairy-tale characters into 11.5 minutes.—
Culture Critic,
San Francisco Chronicle,
13 Mar. 2026
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The holders come in a set of two, adorned with figural bunnies.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The summit did not happen, with Aoun saying a security deal needed to be in place and Israeli attacks needed to end before such a landmark symbolic meeting.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
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Advocates and some council members have expressed concerns that the new rules may be symbolic and unenforceable.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Metaphoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/metaphoric. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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