as in saying
an often stated observation regarding something from common experience
her grandfather has a proverb for every occasion
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of proverb
His tale has become a proverb for any outdoor fanatic who, despite all of the proper planning and preparation, is undone by forces more powerful than him or herself.
—
Frederick Dreier, Outside, 7 Oct. 2025
On the other hand, perhaps this is one of those rare and unforeseen opportunities that give rise to the proverb of no guts, no glory.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
For centuries, the proverb has reminded us that seeing is believing.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 16 Sep. 2025
Instead, Jeffrey Gahler has turned budget hearings into a sideshow by attacking McCord for scribbling a French version of a familiar proverb during an April meeting.
—Aegis Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proverb
Frederick Dreier, Outside, 7 Oct. 2025
On the other hand, perhaps this is one of those rare and unforeseen opportunities that give rise to the proverb of no guts, no glory.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
For centuries, the proverb has reminded us that seeing is believing.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 16 Sep. 2025
Instead, Jeffrey Gahler has turned budget hearings into a sideshow by attacking McCord for scribbling a French version of a familiar proverb during an April meeting.
—Aegis Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proverb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proverb
Noun
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As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
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There’s an old saying that demographics are destiny.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Mostly Mute Monday tells an astronomical story in images, visuals, and no more than 200 words.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Feb. 2026
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Each puzzle has exactly one solution, so watch out for words or items that seem to belong to multiple categories!—
Mark Cooper,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The United States is currently living out the first half of that maxim.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
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Maybe anyone planning long journeys should take those maxims as advice anyhow.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For the Guardian writer, the question was a rare refutation of Betteridge’s law, the journalistic adage stating that any headline ending in a question mark can be answered with a no.—
Hermione Hoby,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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But just like the adage that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others, merit is the worst form of assessment except all the others.—
Kenji Yoshino,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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And this aphorism of Thucydides is presented as inevitable, as the natural logic of international relations reasserting itself.—
Haley Ott,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
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In 1975, Eno and the artist Peter Schmidt devised a deck of a hundred cards, each printed with a blunt aphorism intended to crack open some creative conundrum.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
29 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Our school motto was Faites vos désirs réalités.—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Inter Miami’s club motto is an aspirational call to action that the club’s co-founder, Jorge Mas, often points to as the foundation of the MLS side’s ambition.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Proverb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proverb. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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