1
as in theme
a major object of interest or concern (as in a discussion or artistic composition)
the motif of mute figures standing in lonely isolation is a recurrent one in the artist's works
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of motif
The Princess wore a bright aquamarine woollen dress coat with ivory lapels and cuffs by Catherine Walker—a designer favored by Kate Middleton as much as Princess Diana—as well as wide-brimmed matching hat with a sculptural motif by Juliette Botterill.
—
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 June 2025
Expect to see playing card motifs on everything from wall art to pillows, with eerie quotes plucked straight from the pages of Lewis Carroll’s original.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 June 2025
Having borrowed the sand and surf motif from his surfer brother Dennis Wilson — the only surfer among the group — Brian later became inspired, and frustrated, by The Beatles’ evolving sound.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 11 June 2025
The studio also makes beautiful tableware decorated with lemons, flowers, and other motifs that would make a great gift or souvenir.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for motif
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 June 2025
Expect to see playing card motifs on everything from wall art to pillows, with eerie quotes plucked straight from the pages of Lewis Carroll’s original.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 June 2025
Having borrowed the sand and surf motif from his surfer brother Dennis Wilson — the only surfer among the group — Brian later became inspired, and frustrated, by The Beatles’ evolving sound.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 11 June 2025
The studio also makes beautiful tableware decorated with lemons, flowers, and other motifs that would make a great gift or souvenir.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for motif
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motif
Noun
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Newcastle has rightly earned great credit for its success rate, but the common theme is all of those players have arrived with risk, liked by bigger clubs but crucially not enough to be poached by one of them.—
Harry De Cosemo,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
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The theme of this year's parade is United in Pride.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
Noun
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Giuffre’s advocacy for survivors was an inspiration for Willis, who wore a dress with a butterfly pattern that day, a symbol that came to represent freedom for Giuffre.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
29 June 2025
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This past season, The Wall Street Journal was first to report that Terry Rozier — then of the Charlotte Hornets — was under investigation for activity related to unusual betting patterns surrounding him in a March 2023 game.—
Larry Lage,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2025
Noun
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Throughout the hearing, Kobach advocated against the merits of climate public nuisance suits, using previous dismissals as evidence of the lack of feasibility of such claims, a topic which Sen. Cruz also discussed during his questioning.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
-
Rice has been a hot-button topic in Japan, with surging prices and shortages leading to empty shelves in supermarkets across the country.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
26 June 2025
Noun
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But these days, those very names are on the tip of the tongues of fashion buyers and collectors in Paris, New York and even L.A. — where celebrities are donning their designs at Hollywood events.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
24 June 2025
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Analyze how people phrase their interactions with LLMs and adjust your content to fit this design pattern.—
Pawel Rzeszucinski,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Noun
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Given the nation's alarming security threat, the FBI is planning to reallocate potentially thousands of FBI agents away from immigration enforcement work to focus on cyber threats and counterterrorism efforts, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News on Tuesday.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
25 June 2025
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Legal Advice Clinic for Veterans: The Seminole County Legal Aid office hosts a free monthly legal advice clinic for veterans to get legal assistance with family law and housing law matters.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 June 2025
Noun
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While Vance was taking questions, a reporter referenced Padilla's removal from Noem's news conference.—
Sonam Sheth,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 June 2025
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But as Trump took questions from the media for about 15 minutes during the event, very little soccer was discussed.—
Chuck Schilken,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motif.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motif. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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