as in clichés
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 platitudes
Victor Lindelof’s pre-match comments smacked of bombast and confidence, the sort of words which are said but not meant, platitudes used to motivate rather than to be sworn under oath.
—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
15 June 2026
What is in danger is that this will strip away the soul, the raw humanity actors like Jim Handy brough to each role and replace it with flat, generalized platitudes.
—
Carl Kurlander,
Deadline,
13 June 2026
The second was that, along with the platitudes about resilience, attendees were unusually honest about the Gulf’s predicament.
—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
4 June 2026
Not the word kindness, not the platitudes.
—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
The process is so slow that a City Council committee held a hearing earlier this month essentially to turn up the heat on administration officials, who offered no explanation for the molasses-like contracting process other than platitudes.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
But behind the pomp and platitudes, Putin is also facing Xi in a much weaker position than during his last visit to Beijing in September.
—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
Beneath the platitudes, there are simmering tensions -- especially on Taiwan.
—
Selina Wang,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
The lyrics—elsewhere evocative—wilt dramatically, a slurry of platitudes.
—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
15 June 2026
What is in danger is that this will strip away the soul, the raw humanity actors like Jim Handy brough to each role and replace it with flat, generalized platitudes.
—
Carl Kurlander,
Deadline,
13 June 2026
The second was that, along with the platitudes about resilience, attendees were unusually honest about the Gulf’s predicament.
—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
4 June 2026
Not the word kindness, not the platitudes.
—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
The process is so slow that a City Council committee held a hearing earlier this month essentially to turn up the heat on administration officials, who offered no explanation for the molasses-like contracting process other than platitudes.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
But behind the pomp and platitudes, Putin is also facing Xi in a much weaker position than during his last visit to Beijing in September.
—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
Beneath the platitudes, there are simmering tensions -- especially on Taiwan.
—
Selina Wang,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
The lyrics—elsewhere evocative—wilt dramatically, a slurry of platitudes.
—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for platitudes
Noun
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The president used similar bromides in private calls to assuage allies, including Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson, before launching the war in February, according to people familiar with the conversations.
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While these songs might appear to be somewhat straightforward EBM that wear their politics on their latex sleeve, there’s a level of ambiguity at work that moves Kissing Luck Goodbye past its own bromides and into deeper artistic territory.
Noun
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One effect of this austerity and repression is to focus attention on Albee’s language, with its slippery banalities and barbs.
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As far back as the Victorian era, exchanging a few banalities was part of a veritable social code—a way of signaling both politeness and boundaries.
Noun
-
Spain’s success over the past five years has undermined many long-standing political-economic truisms.
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The play isn’t subtle; the final sequence leans hard on truisms about addiction and trauma, which are affecting but overly explicit.
Noun
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Dear Annabelle makes adorable place cards that have witty sayings or a theme.
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Their advice and memorable sayings reveal lessons of perseverance, faith and integrity — values that continue to influence generations that follow.
Noun
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With 30 rooms, including 13 suites, all with views of the Dolomites, the interiors depart from familiar alpine tropes.
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In that episode, there is a very direct conversation about tropes and specifically the crazy-ex-girlfriend trope regarding Arthur’s ex, Narcissa, played by Anna Camp.
Cite this Entry
“Platitudes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/platitudes. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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