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
Fruity Pebbles have become a new shibboleth in the ongoing feud between The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives stars Demi Engemann and Jessi Ngatikaura Draper.
—
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
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
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
See All Example Sentences for shibboleth
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
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
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
See All Example Sentences for shibboleth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shibboleth
Noun
-
Once his fans found out, 200 more mugs were produced with the new slogan on one side and a picture of King Juan Carlos on the other.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
-
However, one fan thought that this slogan was nothing more than something the team's front office cooked up.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Several, far less talented organizations were able to hang World Series banners in that time frame, including my beloved Florida Marlins, which just feels like the baseball gods laughing in the face of Mariners fans.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
-
Reijn is producing through her MAN UP Film banner, with A24 also producing and financing.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
His deep arsenal gives him a chance to handle a truism of the craft.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
-
Ever since, intelligence officers have ruefully invoked that truism whenever they’re blamed for a major screwup.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The lyrics—elsewhere evocative—wilt dramatically, a slurry of platitudes.—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Neville is smart enough as a documentarian to leave out platitudes, but also to let access to Michaels’ Maine retreat be a vibe rather than some knockout reveal.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The bromide invites teachers to underestimate their students.—
Steven F. Wilson,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
-
While these songs might appear to be somewhat straightforward EBM that wear their politics on their latex sleeve, there’s a level of ambiguity at work that moves Kissing Luck Goodbye past its own bromides and into deeper artistic territory.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Gilbert — who seven years ago headlined this venue himself — smoked a cigar and dipped tobacco simultaneously for much of his set, which luxuriated in country-music-concert tropes.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
10 May 2026
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The roles taken by Burić, the grumpy coach, Romeo, who plays a scary janitor, and Löwensohn, who is the academy’s strict yet maternal manager, allowed Chryssos to toy with sports world tropes.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Or is this commonplace in NBA transactions?—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 May 2026
-
In the early 2000s, Sears began to use its website — the new iteration of its catalog — to help pioneer the now-commonplace practices of buying goods online and picking them up in store.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the last few decades, that swagger seems to have collapsed under the weight of a tepid banality.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
One effect of this austerity and repression is to focus attention on Albee’s language, with its slippery banalities and barbs.—
Steven Winn,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shibboleth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shibboleth. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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