as in cliché
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
"blondes have more fun" is a silly platitude
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Recent Examples of platitude
And still … No matter how many platitudes thrown his way for mental makeup, expert preparation and popularity in the locker room, Stidham faces a daunting challenge.
—
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 Jan. 2026
The lockers were cleaned out, the garbage bags were full, and the platitudes were flying in lieu of the confetti that won’t be falling for the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in February.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
Mane, who now plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, and Salah have since acknowledged a rivalry existed between them before awkwardly retreating to the sort of platitudes footballers often offer about one another.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
On one hand, the platitudes of traditional sportsbook operators fracturing under a droplet of business pressure reflects how the world works.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for platitude
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 Jan. 2026
The lockers were cleaned out, the garbage bags were full, and the platitudes were flying in lieu of the confetti that won’t be falling for the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in February.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
Mane, who now plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, and Salah have since acknowledged a rivalry existed between them before awkwardly retreating to the sort of platitudes footballers often offer about one another.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
On one hand, the platitudes of traditional sportsbook operators fracturing under a droplet of business pressure reflects how the world works.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for platitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for platitude
Noun
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One of the truisms in the past for Team Canada at some best-on-best events is needing a few games to find its game.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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What’s happening now underscores that truism.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Despite their clear affection for these women, the Dardenne brothers never sugarcoat their characters’ unenviable circumstance or latch onto phony bromides to alleviate our anxiety.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2026
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Doping the Undopable The work focuses on cesium lead bromide nanoparticles known as CsPbBr3.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Using the book as a conscious tool of image-building is a more recent phenomenon, however, leading critic Jaime Fuller to lament the banality of such tomes in his 2019 Literary Hub article.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
4 Feb. 2026
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The film is a harrowing look at the banality of evil in its most dangerous form.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The most commonplace and the most concerning, as a consequence, come by way of phishing campaigns.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The 1945 War Brides Act largely diverged from these previous measures, helping to dismantle the Asian exclusion made commonplace in the 19th and early 20th centuries.—
Anna Storti,
The Conversation,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In the book, the trope is introduced when Lockwood sleeps in Catherine’s childhood bed and is visited by her girl-ghost wandering the moors, demanding to be let in.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
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Between jokes about research funding and the scientific questions that might arise upon spotting a fuzzy pink Tyrannosaurus rex on a strange planet, Lemming uses her protagonist, Dory, to poke fun at romance tropes and graduate student woes alike.—
Brianne Kane,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That these sayings are meant to reflect something both deep and asinine about the film itself is self-evident.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
15 Feb. 2026
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Today, the writings come in the form of cards and sweet sayings on candy.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Platitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/platitude. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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