as in proverb
a short sentence or phrase that expresses a rule guiding the behavior of a particular person or group
"Hope for the best and prepare for the worst" is my motto. The Scout motto is "Be prepared."
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Recent Examples of motto
Some of them are pleading with members of their party to avoid adopting the motto.
—
Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2026
Some signs listing off team mottos – like staying humble and focusing on themselves — have been taken down over doors.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
Ben Johnson — with intellect, a bare chest and a cheesy motto from high school football — has revived the Bears in his first season as their coach.
—Adam Kilgore, Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2026
It has been edited with Charli xcx’s Brat font, used in ethereal vlog montages, and has generally become a motto in the new year.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motto
Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2026
Some signs listing off team mottos – like staying humble and focusing on themselves — have been taken down over doors.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
Ben Johnson — with intellect, a bare chest and a cheesy motto from high school football — has revived the Bears in his first season as their coach.
—Adam Kilgore, Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2026
It has been edited with Charli xcx’s Brat font, used in ethereal vlog montages, and has generally become a motto in the new year.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motto
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motto
Noun
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And there’s a proverb, this idea of the secret of getting old.—
Renée Onque,
CNBC,
26 Nov. 2025
-
For nine months, Erasmus spent his short nights in a modest dorm and his long days in the print shop, expanding on his collection of proverbs Adagiorum chiliades while Aldus proofread, craftsman carefully laying sets of print and rolling paper through the press.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The Redhawks kept things interesting again, surviving 86-84 against Massachusetts, but hey, better to win ugly than lose pretty, as the saying goes.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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Work With a Partner Ultimately, the easiest way to paint faster is to have more than one person working on the job—as the saying goes, many hands make light work.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Mostly Mute Monday tells an astronomical story in images, visuals, and no more than 200 words.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Though Proust is never mentioned, the French author’s own words even appear almost unaltered when McGahern recounts his youthful absorption in books.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Maybe anyone planning long journeys should take those maxims as advice anyhow.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Manfred has bucked that maxim before, with success.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But even that axiom doesn’t always hold.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
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These shows were built around heady concepts like a sequence, an axiom or the work of Pablo Picasso.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
17 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Emily Mendenhall traces the medical myths, gender bias, and neurological truths behind hysteria, one of history’s most damaging diagnoses.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
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Reagan demonstrated that the most powerful weapon is truth and principles.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motto.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motto. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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