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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of platitude
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
Throughout all of Lowe’s platitudes and boosterism, my attention was rapt, and my mind never wandered.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
After, Sutton Stracke offered platitudes while answering questions about her fractured relationships with ex-assistant Avi Gabay and Garcelle Beauvais.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for platitude
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
Throughout all of Lowe’s platitudes and boosterism, my attention was rapt, and my mind never wandered.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
After, Sutton Stracke offered platitudes while answering questions about her fractured relationships with ex-assistant Avi Gabay and Garcelle Beauvais.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for platitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for platitude
Noun
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Warfare Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
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Kemp does warn his readers to be skeptical of truisms about the nature of history and the odds of apocalypse.—
Linda Kinstler,
The Atlantic,
1 Dec. 2025
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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The film is a harrowing look at the banality of evil in its most dangerous form.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
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Openness comes from these encounters with banality and consistency.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
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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There is so much pleasure to be had in rereading old favorites—and part of the joy is meeting beloved characters, who have been updated or somehow arrive in a new form to resist old tropes and types.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Jan. 2026
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The other one that happens to me more regularly is seeing common tropes or scenarios from the media and tipping them just slightly on their side.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Turnovers come in bunches, the saying goes.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
4 Jan. 2026
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Kids can be cruel, as the old saying goes.—
Dr. Mahvash Madni,
Boston Herald,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Platitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/platitude. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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