as in loosely
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Recent Examples of metaphorically
With the loss of their tangible presence in creative spaces, their songs and stylings metaphorically blow in the breeze and swing in the air.
—
Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Trump likes comfort food around him, literally and metaphorically.
—NBC news, 17 Aug. 2025
That’s because both Jack and Jill are haunted by the dead — and not just metaphorically, but also physically — and their behavior tends to vary slightly when the ghost takes over their forms.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025
On Wednesday, Ellison, the ambitious and reserved son of tech billionaire Larry Ellison, showed off his new throne — metaphorically speaking — and C-suite when hosting a meet-and-greet for journalists on the storied Melrose Lot in Hollywood, home of Paramount Pictures.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for metaphorically
Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Trump likes comfort food around him, literally and metaphorically.
—NBC news, 17 Aug. 2025
That’s because both Jack and Jill are haunted by the dead — and not just metaphorically, but also physically — and their behavior tends to vary slightly when the ghost takes over their forms.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025
On Wednesday, Ellison, the ambitious and reserved son of tech billionaire Larry Ellison, showed off his new throne — metaphorically speaking — and C-suite when hosting a meet-and-greet for journalists on the storied Melrose Lot in Hollywood, home of Paramount Pictures.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for metaphorically
Recent Examples of Synonyms for metaphorically
Adverb
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The film very loosely adapts one tale from the lore of the titular Chinese protection deity, an eccentric-looking boy warrior of mystical, demonic birth.—
Derek Robertson,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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To store fresh dill leaves, wrap the cut dill stems loosely in a damp paper towel and store it in a resealable bag in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Wallets, coins, and rings are carelessly passed around this little society, and messages are corrupted—from Orsino’s wooing of Olivia, which is accidentally undone by his own go-between, Viola, to the letters that deceive Malvolio.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
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But also just a touch ironic — like a man handing out fire safety pamphlets while carelessly flipping burgers over a bonfire on his porch.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Almost instantaneously, headlines inaccurately stating that Europe had banned all gel manicures popped up, quickly followed by fact-free fearmongering on social media.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
3 Sep. 2025
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Misclassifying an apprentice on the Paseo West-area Jazz Hill Homes project and inaccurately certifying payroll documents.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
8 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Instead of freely taking up legal work in Thailand, Sara was smuggled at gunpoint into a scammers’ compound in Myanmar.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Open-source models amplify this risk – they can be freely downloaded, altered, and run offline, enabling rapid innovation but also removing layers of oversight.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Metaphorically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/metaphorically. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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