1
as in slogans
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
Relevance
2
as in cliches
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shibboleths
Noun
-
Local reporting says accounts believed to be linked to Holly contained references to mass shootings and antisemitic material, and a Denver Post report described imagery and slogans resembling past white supremacist iconography.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025 -
Authorities revealed on Friday antifascist slogans and video game references were etched onto bullet casings from the gun the suspect used to kill Charlie Kirk.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
New novels are rightly praised for breaking with traditional forms and criticized for turning to stale formulas and cliches.—
Nathaniel Moore
September 10,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Just really not going to sit here and give some cliches.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
People who attended waved Palestinian flags and banners.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The Falcons have six state championship banners hanging in the gym.—
Steve Brand,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The accounts team logs in right on time, and the stupid dance of platitudes that precedes every meeting at every company around the world begins.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Surreal flashbacks show us how Teddy’s ill mom (Alicia Silverstone) suffered at the hands of Michelle’s company, how the empty corporate platitudes offered in exchange for his family’s horror merely confirmed his belief that there was more to what was being said and what had been done.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
While not specifically speculative fiction, the nonfiction narratives that students both read and produce serve as counter-narratives to the oppressive and harmful tropes in media more generally about Black girls and girlhood.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Sep. 2025
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Aside from fake dating, the novel is full of beloved, albeit cheesy, rom-com tropes.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Incidents of such poisoning saw a sharp decline when the Food and Drug Administration phased out the use of bromides in pharmaceuticals between the mid 70s and late 1980s.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Shibboleths.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shibboleths. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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