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
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2
as in cliche
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shibboleth
As far back as 2015, when all of Washington was under the influence of unfettered free-trade shibboleths, Trump warned about the dangers of economic dependencies, built up over decades of liberalization, that could be exploited for geopolitical leverage.
—
Andrew Byers, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2024
Musk’s willingness to upend auto manufacturing shibboleths has also forced his legacy competitors to seek new efficiencies.
—WIRED, 21 Sep. 2023
Nothing is sacrificed to the shibboleth of good taste.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
Far from being a shibboleth of evil, the company is like any other trying to turn a profit in the Western world in 2023, which comes with its own issues and frustrations separate from the ones posited by Kristof in his viral article.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for shibboleth
Andrew Byers, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2024
Musk’s willingness to upend auto manufacturing shibboleths has also forced his legacy competitors to seek new efficiencies.
—WIRED, 21 Sep. 2023
Nothing is sacrificed to the shibboleth of good taste.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
Far from being a shibboleth of evil, the company is like any other trying to turn a profit in the Western world in 2023, which comes with its own issues and frustrations separate from the ones posited by Kristof in his viral article.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for shibboleth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shibboleth
Noun
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Nike’s new slogan is the perfect motto for an anxious America.—
,
FOXNews.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Corn There's more than corn in Indiana, as the slogan goes.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That mantra, a cliche one around college football and sports in general, is magnified now for the Hurricanes (6-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) given Miami’s standing.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
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Really, the cliche stems from World Cup 1982 in Spain.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Supporters of Poland’s anti-choice Law and Justice party (PiS) have written to Gibson’s Icon Productions banner in protest of her casting, according to Variety, citing Polish media outlets.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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The new banner will cover film and TV, and span scripted and docs.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But the movie’s soft-hearted underbelly fails to support that reading, and by the time the story finally arrives at its final moments, the unsparing cynicism that supplied its initial lift has been dragged back down to Earth by the weight of bland truisms.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
15 Oct. 2025
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One ironclad truism about sports is that all streaks eventually come to an end.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Continue reading … BLIND LOYALTY – Karine Jean-Pierre has rocky rollout for book as reviews pan Biden defense, platitudes.—
,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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Survivors need concrete safety and justice, not spiritual platitudes.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Exposure to chemical warfare agents—such as nerve gas—or to pyridostigmine bromide, a drug given to soldiers as a preventive measure against chemical attacks, may have played a role.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
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There is an outright rejection of bromides that would give us some conclusion of reassurance.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Such is the brilliance of Wes Craven’s self-aware spin on serial-killer tropes, which manages to both mock a generation of teenagers raised on the campy likes of Friday the 13th and deliver honest scares in its own right.—
The Atlantic Culture Desk,
The Atlantic,
29 Oct. 2025
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But of course, like all good enemies-to-lover tropes, Clarke and Lexa were forced to put aside their differences to save their people — and ultimately fell in love.—
Catherine Mhloyi,
Them.,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Ion gauges are relatively cheap (under US $1,000) and commonplace.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
24 Sep. 2025
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The fact of death: what a commonplace, what a banal place to land.—
Garth Greenwell,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shibboleth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shibboleth. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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