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
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Recent Examples of shibboleths
The director scores easy laughs off of modern-day progressive shibboleths such as gender-fluid pronouns, trigger warnings and Native American land acknowledgments.
—
Gustavo Arellano,
Houston Chronicle,
25 Mar. 2026
The director scores easy laughs off of modern-day progressive shibboleths such as gender-fluid pronouns, trigger warnings and Native American land acknowledgments.
—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Gustavo Arellano,
Houston Chronicle,
25 Mar. 2026
The director scores easy laughs off of modern-day progressive shibboleths such as gender-fluid pronouns, trigger warnings and Native American land acknowledgments.
—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shibboleths
Noun
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Others use stickers with messages, crosses, flags or team slogans.
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For Everything RiaL, that’s one of the slogans that has been associated with me since the beginning of my career.
Noun
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Spain’s success over the past five years has undermined many long-standing political-economic truisms.
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The play isn’t subtle; the final sequence leans hard on truisms about addiction and trauma, which are affecting but overly explicit.
Noun
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In 2026, Trump has made America about himself — about his petty wants and needs, about his aesthetic vision, about his visage on banners, currency and passports, about his ideas on art and culture and history.
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Representatives of the company, under giant banners of Blackpink’s Jennie in Ray-Ban and Kylian Mbappé in Oakley, said the conversation has now shifted from the technology to pushing fashion adoption and as a creator product rather than a gadget.
Noun
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Victor Lindelof’s pre-match comments smacked of bombast and confidence, the sort of words which are said but not meant, platitudes used to motivate rather than to be sworn under oath.
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What is in danger is that this will strip away the soul, the raw humanity actors like Jim Handy brough to each role and replace it with flat, generalized platitudes.
Noun
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With 30 rooms, including 13 suites, all with views of the Dolomites, the interiors depart from familiar alpine tropes.
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In that episode, there is a very direct conversation about tropes and specifically the crazy-ex-girlfriend trope regarding Arthur’s ex, Narcissa, played by Anna Camp.
Noun
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The president used similar bromides in private calls to assuage allies, including Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson, before launching the war in February, according to people familiar with the conversations.
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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.
Noun
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One effect of this austerity and repression is to focus attention on Albee’s language, with its slippery banalities and barbs.
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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.
Noun
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Dear Annabelle makes adorable place cards that have witty sayings or a theme.
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Their advice and memorable sayings reveal lessons of perseverance, faith and integrity — values that continue to influence generations that follow.
Cite this Entry
“Shibboleths.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shibboleths. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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