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
But for those who remain beholden to the shibboleths that once justified that act of national self-harm, the Times’ acknowledgment of the obvious might be valuable.
—
The Editors, National Review, 20 Mar. 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
The Editors, National Review, 20 Mar. 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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Hundreds of Kenyans were already on the streets early in the morning, chanting anti-government slogans as police hurled tear gas canisters at some of the crowds.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 June 2025
-
Trump hints at potential for 'regime change' in Iran with new slogan MAJOR HEADLINES SUNDAY ATTACK – Church security guard kills armed suspect who opened fire on congregation.—
,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2025
Noun
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To fall back on one of horror marketing’s favorite cliches, the man has a twisted mind.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
26 June 2025
-
Answers vary from obvious to obscure, some citing culture or clutch performances, while others cling to cliches that this club is turning into truths.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Throughout the month, protesters have hung anti-Bezos posters and banners on various locations across the city, including the bell tower of the San Giorgio Maggiore basilica and the famous Rialto Bridge.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
23 June 2025
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Activists gather around the giant banner protesting Jeff Bezos ahead of his wedding in Venice, Italy, on June 23, 2025.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
The notion that Trump is the wrong answer to the right question has become something of a truism for liberals.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
23 June 2025
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With Section 899, Republicans are trying to test the truism about two wrongs not making a right.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
Too often people send graduates out into the world with platitudes and lofty thoughts.—
Harry Kraemer,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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Starting with fawning platitudes, the relationship between the world's richest man and the world's most powerful man has come to an acrimonious end.—
Dan Perry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 June 2025
Noun
-
The state uses a three-drug protocol of etomidate, rocuronium bromide and potassium acetate.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
-
But behind such vague bromides are specific national qualities that social scientists can identify and measure.—
Michael J. Mazarr,
Foreign Affairs,
21 June 2022
Noun
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The Second World War and the Red Scare drove him toward a quasi-mystical visual language, more Marc Chagall than Diego Rivera, that relied on a growing menu of tropes: masks, rubble, blind people, flames.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
24 June 2025
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Federal prosecutors offered no rebuttal, which brought the day to an end with the trope of a whimper not a legal bang.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
24 June 2025
Noun
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Luxury scented candles, like room sprays for that matter, have the power to elevate any moment: taking it from commonplace to utterly indulgent.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
26 Mar. 2025
-
The Grand Ole Opry House holds 4,400 people, but can’t accommodate standing-room tours, a commonplace in genres like EDM and hip-hop.—
Matthew Leimkuehler,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shibboleth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shibboleth. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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