shibboleth

noun

ˈshi-bə-ləth How to pronounce shibboleth (audio)
Definition of shibbolethnext
1
as in slogan
an attention-getting word or phrase used to publicize something (as a campaign or product) we knew that their claim of giving "the best deal in town" was just a shibboleth

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in cliché
an idea or expression that has been used by many people there's a lot of truth in the shibboleth that if you give some people an inch, they'll take a mile

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shibboleth This opens up the possibility that the agency can finally be wrenched away from divisive ideologies and progressive shibboleths and become a streamlined international-development assistance system that truly advances America’s interests. — The Editors, National Review, 5 Feb. 2025 In a North Hollywood podcast studio last week, Gill Tejada and his co-host, Boo Boo, trashed liberal shibboleths, like any good Trumpers. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024 Musk’s willingness to upend auto manufacturing shibboleths has also forced his legacy competitors to seek new efficiencies. — WIRED, 21 Sep. 2023 Johnson’s novella is a shibboleth among a certain kind of reader (and, typically, writer). — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 11 May 2020 See All Example Sentences for shibboleth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shibboleth
  1. slogan
  2. truism
  3. banner
  4. platitude
  5. bromide
  6. trope
  7. commonplace
  8. banality
Noun
  • This city’s problems aren’t going to be solved with slogans or campaign consultants’ talking points.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • At the same time, the recent, deadly brutality of the agency and its partners has led, according to some polls, to strong support for such a policy; those espousing the slogan have included Bill Kristol, the neocon anti-Trump writer.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of slogan
Noun
  • There’s a long-standing truism in the world of physical attacks that defenders need to succeed every time, but attackers need to succeed just once.
    — Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • There are, however, exceptions to this truism, which brings me to my brief personal list of best movie adaptations of great literature.
    — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026
Definition of truism
Noun
  • The judge ordered Facebook and Instagram to build banner and informational screens to clearly explain its protection features, best practices, tools to address inappropriate comments, for example, and display them regularly.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The banners and flags tell the stories and carry the names of other Washingtons — the everyday, historic and cultural Washingtons.
    — Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of banner
Noun
  • Leaders must understand grief's unique, individual nature, avoiding assumptions or platitudes.
    — Mena Mirhom, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • The shorter run time also means some themes get reduced into syrup; the platitudes come as fast and furious as Tao and Elle’s breakups and makeups, with too little space to breathe in between.
    — Gemma Wilson, Boston Herald, 19 July 2026
Definition of platitude
Noun
  • The fire contained compounds from more than two dozen chemical families, including dangerous amounts of bromide, a naturally occurring element that can irritate the skin and mucus membranes.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 29 June 2026
  • The bromide has been debunked, but there is power — and delight — in making coffee shop drinks at home.
    — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 25 June 2026
Definition of bromide
Noun
  • Though the familiar tropes of YA storytelling exist throughout, the series engages with the genre’s conventions earnestly and with sincerity, says Halsall.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The tropes that conceive of Africa, a 54-nation continent, as a tragic problem to be solved.
    — Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of trope
Noun
  • Wolff was only the eighth woman to drive a Formula 1 car (four more have done it since); the role, a now-commonplace one that includes driving the simulator during Grand Prix weekends to inform trackside strategy, was created for her.
    — Danielle McNally, InStyle, 28 May 2026
  • The videos are often integrated into larger montages of drone strikes, underscoring how commonplace these drones have become for Russian forces.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Definition of commonplace
Noun
  • Commentary and opinions In his latest column, Gustavo Arellano breaks down the banality of evil in the Border Patrol’s secret anti-immigrant slur.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
  • And yet for God’s sake, just look at the man—at his dispiriting attempts at humor, his weirdly off-putting outfits, his incessant posting of banalities and faux profundities and extreme-right disinformation on social media.
    — Mark O’Connell, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026
Definition of banality

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Shibboleth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shibboleth. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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