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."
Related 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 motto
Pruitt said that King's non-violent motto is more important than ever in the current political scene.
—
Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 19 Jan. 2026
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
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
Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 19 Jan. 2026
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
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
-
But perhaps the night’s theme was best summed up by a proverb, not from Italy, but Coventry’s native continent.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
7 Feb. 2026
-
And there’s a proverb, this idea of the secret of getting old.—
Renée Onque,
CNBC,
26 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Politics ain’t beanbag, as the saying goes.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
-
My accent and ways of saying signaled something different there, something other than modesty.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Mostly Mute Monday tells a scientific story in images, visuals, and no more than 200 words.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The game’s objective is to group words or objects into four groups of four based on commonalities within each group as quickly as possible.—
Mark Cooper,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Still, that leaves a substantial audience who will find much to enjoy in this grisly yet sensitive take on the old maxim that every baby is different.—
Catherine Bray,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The United States is currently living out the first half of that maxim.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The axiom about first getting one’s own house in order before pointing to the fault of others is appropriate here.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
-
But even that axiom doesn’t always hold.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Instead of building closeness, some truths erode it—especially when honesty is delivered without care, context, or concern for the person on the receiving end.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Epistemia is a name for a flaw in how people interpret these models, in which linguistic plausibility is taken as a surrogate for truth.—
Walter Quattrociocchi,
Scientific American,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motto.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motto. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
