metaphors

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

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 metaphors This biomimetic approach to AI development would position Malaysia to export not just technological products, but technological philosophies — ways of thinking about intelligence that emerge from ecological rather than industrial metaphors. Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025 There are countless metaphors used to describe the craft of translation, and one is of carrying something—meaning, in essence—from one place to another. Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2025 Earth acknowledges that kids watch kids entertainment, not metaphors. James Grebey, Time, 21 Aug. 2025 At Sarajevo, Kremser and Peter talked to THR about what went into making White Snail, representing depression and suicidal thoughts on screen, and the importance of images and metaphors in the film. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025 With his calm demeanor and distinctive baritone, Biggie exhibited a rare talent for painting pictures with his bars, delivering a complex rhyme scheme of double entendres and metaphors that has kept him on the Mount Rushmore of rap for any true connoisseur of the genre. Shirley Halperin For The Hollywood Reporter, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2025 Powerful metaphors shape perception. Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025 Her father was a scientist and worked for NASA, so her work, including The Body’s Question and Life on Mars, is infused with the cosmos and space and all these metaphors and similes tied to the most mysterious places in the universe. Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 22 Feb. 2025 But therapy in the great outdoors, even with stunning visuals and artful metaphors, can only take a show so far, though it’s greatly helped by Landau’s graceful direction, Melecio Estrella and Bandaloop’s vertical staging and an impressive supporting cast. Frank Rizzo, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for metaphors
Noun
  • Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics professionals must continue to make the science accessible by knowing audiences, minimizing jargon, using analogies or real-world examples, and applying miniature, meaningful, and memorable (3M’s) messaging.
    Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
  • The Munich Agreement The Munich Agreement – the deal that ceded the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Adolf Hitler’s Germany in a bid to avert war in Europe — is the granddaddy of historical analogies.
    Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Ryan Cho, 28, is facing more than 130 charges including stalking, producing intimate images and secretly installing surveillance devices, the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) reported, citing police.
    Nicole Acosta, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Internet speed matters for activities like streaming video, gaming, video calls and using many devices at once.
    Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • One of Weapons’ conceits is its chapter structure centering on particular characters, and sources say that Cregger actually had a chapter focused on Gladys and some of her backstory.
    Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
  • All the conceits of a true-crime film are there – the lead detective interviews, shaky images from police-cams, the salacious headlines, the nauseating crime scene photos, the TV news reports, teary interviews with friends and family.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Metaphors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/metaphors. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on metaphors

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!