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
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Recent Examples of shibboleth
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
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
See All Example Sentences for shibboleth
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for shibboleth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shibboleth
Noun
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Instead, it’s funneled into systems that are long on slogans and short on accountability.—
Jennifer Nassour,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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Young people, their faces covered by masks, circulated through traffic and on sidewalks, chanting political slogans.—
Davood Moradian,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The show hails from Robert and Michelle King, who will write, executive produce, and co-showrun the series under their King Size Productions banner.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
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This is yet other banner year for this snowfall machine, which has already surpassed 300-inches before then end of January, which is extraordinary.—
Larry Olmsted,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Warfare Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
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Kemp does warn his readers to be skeptical of truisms about the nature of history and the odds of apocalypse.—
Linda Kinstler,
The Atlantic,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Google is famous for dodging questions by reciting platitudes on its calls.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
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Too often, sustainability messaging swings between vague platitudes and overwhelming detail.—
Jeff Fromm,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Despite their clear affection for these women, the Dardenne brothers never sugarcoat their characters’ unenviable circumstance or latch onto phony bromides to alleviate our anxiety.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2026
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Doping the Undopable The work focuses on cesium lead bromide nanoparticles known as CsPbBr3.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Before every artful-minded modern horror film became about grief and trauma, The Babadook explored these themes with authenticity, deftly weaving in Amelia's grief over the loss of her husband and her inability to control her son with traditional horror tropes.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
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The duet is unabashedly sappy, its lyrics full of period-perfect, flowery Medieval revivalism tropes.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The most commonplace and the most concerning, as a consequence, come by way of phishing campaigns.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The 1945 War Brides Act largely diverged from these previous measures, helping to dismantle the Asian exclusion made commonplace in the 19th and early 20th centuries.—
Anna Storti,
The Conversation,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The film is a harrowing look at the banality of evil in its most dangerous form.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
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Openness comes from these encounters with banality and consistency.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shibboleth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shibboleth. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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