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 ornate accessory features scrollwork and clover motifs in silver and gold, set with diamonds that can be detached and worn as a brooch.
—
Marta Martínez Tato,
Vanity Fair,
24 June 2026
The quilt features classic beach motifs like starfish, sand dollars, and seashells to make your guest bedroom feel like a summer escape.
—
Brandi Fuller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 June 2026
Elicit the distinctive pink motifs of South Beach, Miami with this short and cute design.
—
Odeya Pinkus,
InStyle,
22 June 2026
Smith often used celestial motifs in his work, notably in the song 'Shooting Star,' which, in hindsight, symbolizes his brief but brilliant light.
—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for motif
Marta Martínez Tato,
Vanity Fair,
24 June 2026
The quilt features classic beach motifs like starfish, sand dollars, and seashells to make your guest bedroom feel like a summer escape.
—
Brandi Fuller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 June 2026
Elicit the distinctive pink motifs of South Beach, Miami with this short and cute design.
—
Odeya Pinkus,
InStyle,
22 June 2026
Smith often used celestial motifs in his work, notably in the song 'Shooting Star,' which, in hindsight, symbolizes his brief but brilliant light.
—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for motif
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motif
Noun
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Its summer program is built as a four or five-day series, with each two-hour session focused on a theme like pastry-making or global flavors.
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The first box was the Snack Blind Box, and the second box was the Fiber Blind Box, meaning Wednesday's drop will be one of the other two themes.
Noun
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In this current era of AI disruption and geopolitical uncertainty, there seems to be another gendered pattern in the workplace coming to light.
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Mann and his colleagues have shown an uptick in the frequency of such stuck jet stream patterns, known as planetary resonance events, in recent decades.
Noun
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Mercury stations retrograde in Cancer in your 4th House of Home and Family, bringing old household topics, family patterns, or private concerns back up for review.
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This train of thought quickly gets lost in the sauce as the topic frustratingly switches back to Shamea and her job with the NBA.
Noun
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Instead of a hallway of bedrooms under a single roof, the sleeping spaces are dispersed across the property, each with direct access to the gardens — a design more commonly found in tropical destinations than in a tony coastal enclave about 35 miles north of San Francisco.
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The production design floored me.
Noun
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The news comes as Lackland Air Force Base in Texas — home to the Air Force's Basic Military Training program — grapples with a flu outbreak that has infected 275 people in recent weeks, a congressional staffer with knowledge of the matter told CBS News.
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To make matters worse, microbiome testing has gotten cheaper and faster, but not more accurate.
Noun
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By simply looking at the exam paper, the glasses could transmit questions to a connected AI large language models, which generated answers and displayed them on the lenses.
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Gina Martinez, chair of the executive board of the Wilmington Neighborhood Council, said the land in question provides a vital buffer between port activity and residential communities.
Cite this Entry
“Motif.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motif. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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