metaphors

Definition of metaphorsnext
plural of metaphor
as in analogies
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

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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 metaphors The artist has described works like this one as metaphors for the violence of colonialism in her home country. Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 May 2026 Ebel even alternates between hockey and baseball metaphors. Jordan Blum, Fortune, 4 May 2026 All the Rest is steeped in metaphors and imagery that evokes those spaces. Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2026 The uniqueness is his metaphors. New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026 Green’s list of eerie parallels included two swimming-pool metaphors and a climactic injury in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and two strikes. Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026 Its celestial metaphors and soaring strings have earned Diamond certification by the RIAA and been covered by everyone from Taylor Swift to Luke Combs. Nate Sloan, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026 What about forests, given my fondness for tree metaphors? Elena Megalos, Longreads, 31 Mar. 2026 Threads become metaphors for relationships—fragile yet resilient, personal yet interconnected. Olga Garcia-Mayoral, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for metaphors
Noun
  • Those are harsh analogies but not wholly inapt ones.
    Phil Plait, Scientific American, 1 May 2026
  • Klemperer also noticed how often Nazi propaganda used sports analogies and superlatives to make its point.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The program included a technology deep dive exploring the science behind modern IPL devices, a creator roundtable discussing personal journeys around beauty and self-confidence and hands-on demonstrations that allowed attendees to experience the devices directly.
    Footwear News, Footwear News, 7 May 2026
  • The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 will see its debut in devices overseas from brands like Oppo, realme, and REDMI.
    Florence Ion, PC Magazine, 7 May 2026
Noun
  • In those earlier pictures, metaphysical conceits became visual and dramatic gambits as the filmmakers set out to colonize the vast interior worlds of, respectively, the mind and the spirit.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
  • One of Yellow Letters’s most interesting conceits is that German cities play Turkish ones throughout.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Metaphors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/metaphors. Accessed 12 May. 2026.

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