as in panacea
something that cures all ills or problems a quack nostrum for cancer of all types

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 nostrum His personal integrity conflicts with liberal nostrums, resulting in Fish and Poinsettia’s bizarre repulsion-attraction rapport. Armond White, National Review, 25 June 2025 Kennedy has promoted almost useless nostrums against measles, such as Vitamin A, while describing vaccination as a personal choice. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025 Eight years later, Democrats have devolved into nostrums about appealing to the middle class, ditching academic language, and finding a uniting message. Alexander Nazaryan, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Mar. 2025 Population trends today should raise serious questions about all the old nostrums that humans are somehow hard-wired to replace themselves to continue the species. Nicholas Eberstadt, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for nostrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nostrum
Noun
  • Even the most bullish technologists acknowledge that there are no panaceas and that models come with tradeoffs and limits.
    Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
  • While rent control may not be the panacea some hope for, observers agree that some measure of government assistance is needed, given the scope of the housing crisis.
    Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The oil-free elixir blends l-ascorbic acid, silymarin, ferulic acid, and salicylic acid to protect against free radical damage, stave off excess oil production, and clarify pores.
    Akili King, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Made with 83 ingredients, think of it as part greens powder, part gut-health-supporting drink, and part adaptogenic elixir.
    Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Otherwise, don't forget the power of basic pain relief remedies.
    Andee Tagle, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Some people consider dark chocolate a natural remedy for period cramps and pain.
    Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • As Ellie is immune to infection, Joel's job is to escort her to Salt Lake City to meet a group called the Fireflies in order to potentially create a cure.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 3 Oct. 2025
  • This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
    Sixteen Ramos, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • But with its long list of as many as 80 ingredients and high status, theriac was expensive and exclusive.
    Elizabeth Heath, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2023
  • Zinc lozenges suddenly became the theriac to cure all ills; masks and hand-sanitizer, the ambergris and zedoary to ward off infection.
    Spencer Strub, The New York Review of Books, 25 Mar. 2020
Noun
  • Yes, Baltimore’s defense is wretched, so don’t count on this being a cure-all, exactly.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
  • At its core, a rate cut is a tool, not a cure-all.
    Diane Tomb, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Nostrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nostrum. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on nostrum

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!