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 clichés
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
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If California is serious about safety, the next governor must ground their approach in evidence instead of fear, slogans, media hype, or outdated assumptions.—
Jose Bernal,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026 -
The speech invoked a Václav Havel essay about the hollowness of Communist ideology, embodied by the revolutionary slogans in shopkeepers’ windows that nobody actually believed.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Giant banners featuring the same image of a serious Trump staring pointedly into the camera were also unfurled on the Department of Labor and Department of Agriculture buildings.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
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Red banners and signs for the upcoming Ninth Party Congress surrounded the military display.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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One of the truisms in the past for Team Canada at some best-on-best events is needing a few games to find its game.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
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
-
Many use cases are still being deployed or piloted, and the agency’s AI database is filled with jargon and platitudes that, in many instances, can be interpreted in multiple ways.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Google is famous for dodging questions by reciting platitudes on its calls.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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And so for all their acclaim and popularity, the pieces have been slammed by these critics for playing to ugly tropes.—
David Colman,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Feb. 2026
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But Fogelman’s feints are so dependent on worn tropes that, in the three-part Season 2 premiere that is now streaming on Hulu, Paradise becomes not just predictable, but also kind of dull.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
23 Feb. 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
-
There is a reason why the apocalyptic bromides about the state of print haven’t come to fruition, other than for disposable periodicals and newspapers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
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As far back as the Victorian era, exchanging a few banalities was part of a veritable social code—a way of signaling both politeness and boundaries.—
Jeanne Ballion,
Vogue,
27 Dec. 2025
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Written by Noah Oppenheim, Bigelow’s real-time thriller about the banalities and actualities of a fictional-in-premise-only nuclear attack on the United States is Netflix’s best horse in the race at the Oscars this year.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That these sayings are meant to reflect something both deep and asinine about the film itself is self-evident.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
15 Feb. 2026
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Today, the writings come in the form of cards and sweet sayings on candy.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Shibboleths.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shibboleths. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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