as in cliches
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
Surreal flashbacks show us how Teddy’s ill mom (Alicia Silverstone) suffered at the hands of Michelle’s company, how the empty corporate platitudes offered in exchange for his family’s horror merely confirmed his belief that there was more to what was being said and what had been done.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025
The United States might start to see itself as others do—self-righteous, hypocritical, futile—tire of its own platitudes and lies, and consider a change.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Who hasn’t been placated with corporate platitudes or company swag when advocating for concrete change?
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
The film follows an ensemble of campers who are weary of platitudes about grief, and speak to one another from a place of radical honesty that is by turns heartbreaking and darkly hilarious, embracing irreverent humor as a cathartic means of self-expression.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
The members simply rounded up the usual suspects of platitudes.
—Vincent Turley, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2025
And Romero and his curatorial team didn’t really engage with Abramovic beyond cursory platitudes.
—Kim Córdova, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Typically, the focus is on court operations and budget — the number of cases handled, number of cases resolved, and so on — with occasional platitudes about access to justice.
—Steve Zeidman, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
At the same time, Angelou is routinely reduced to an unthreatening avatar of inspirational platitudes, her work often overlooked by academics and critics even as her most quotable quips circulate endlessly.
—TIME, 28 Jan. 2025
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025
The United States might start to see itself as others do—self-righteous, hypocritical, futile—tire of its own platitudes and lies, and consider a change.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Who hasn’t been placated with corporate platitudes or company swag when advocating for concrete change?
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
The film follows an ensemble of campers who are weary of platitudes about grief, and speak to one another from a place of radical honesty that is by turns heartbreaking and darkly hilarious, embracing irreverent humor as a cathartic means of self-expression.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
The members simply rounded up the usual suspects of platitudes.
—Vincent Turley, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2025
And Romero and his curatorial team didn’t really engage with Abramovic beyond cursory platitudes.
—Kim Córdova, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Typically, the focus is on court operations and budget — the number of cases handled, number of cases resolved, and so on — with occasional platitudes about access to justice.
—Steve Zeidman, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
At the same time, Angelou is routinely reduced to an unthreatening avatar of inspirational platitudes, her work often overlooked by academics and critics even as her most quotable quips circulate endlessly.
—TIME, 28 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for platitudes
Noun
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Of course, some cliches are nothing but lazy thinking.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
30 Aug. 2025
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In fact, natural is the word to sum up Chapman, a host who, like Artie Bucco, could be described as warm and convivial, who rarely fails to ask piercing questions devoid of cliches and has a relaxed but authoritative style.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Incidents of such poisoning saw a sharp decline when the Food and Drug Administration phased out the use of bromides in pharmaceuticals between the mid 70s and late 1980s.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Platitudes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/platitudes. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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