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

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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 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 Books, Arts & Manners Books A Hero’s Bargain Brian Stewart In an age when heroism is often seen as a relic of a bygone era, the life and death of Alexei Navalny stands as a challenge and a rebuke to progressive nostrums of the day. Caroline Downey, National Review, 27 Mar. 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 In a recent interview on Fox News, Kennedy responded to a burgeoning measles outbreak in West Texas — which already has brought about the first measles death of a child in the U.S. in 10 years — by promoting ineffective nostrums such as cod liver oil and steroids. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nostrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nostrum
Noun
  • For the avoidance of doubt, these are Spurs supporters, which just goes to show that remaining in the Premier League is not a panacea.
    George Caulkin, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
  • An obvious suggestion is to improve diversity in the training data of AI models, but Gaeta says this isn’t a panacea and could lead to other ethical problems.
    Reece Rogers, WIRED, 23 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Initially welcomed as a new business by the struggling city, Baker touted his secret elixir involving corn silk, red clover, watermelon seeds, carbolic acid and alcohol.
    Jack Schnedler, Arkansas Online, 5 May 2025
  • Set up a drink station where people can mix their own elixirs.
    Maggie Griswold, StyleCaster, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Because there is no remedy for migrants who have already been deported, the ACLU lawyers asked the Supreme Court to provide guidance to lower courts about what measures are required for adequate notice to contest deportations.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 17 May 2025
  • However, by the time Biden became incapacitated, that constitutional remedy was available for use.
    Mark R. Weaver, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • Turner, the Indiana Pacers' standout 3-and-D center, would be a perfect cure for what ails the Warriors around the rim — but, as Marks points out, Turner seems likely to have played himself into an incredibly lucrative new free agent deal this summer.
    Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
  • The mastermind behind covert action, Frank Wisner, never paused to consider that his cure for defeating an imaginary worldwide communist conspiracy was worse than the disease.
    Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • L’Orvietan and its imitators had their roots in a more antique antidote called theriac.
    Elizabeth Heath, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2023
  • 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
Noun
  • Recently, the chemical has gained popularity among wellness influencers on TikTok and biohackers as a brain health cure-all, mood and energy booster, and longevity promoter.
    Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 12 May 2025
  • The team doesn’t expect Lewis to be a cure-all for its offensive woes, but his mere presence does wonders simply by expanding the amount of dangerous hitters in the lineup.
    Dan Hayes, New York Times, 7 May 2025

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“Nostrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nostrum. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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