variants
also symbolical
as in representative
having the function or meaning of an object or figure that stands for something else
the butterfly in the poem is symbolic of the impermanence of youth
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of symbolic
The relative success of the war elevated the Revolutionary Guard from a small, street-level militia, initially created to protect Khomeini and the other clerics at the forefront of the Islamic Revolution, into the symbolic defenders of the theocracy.
—
Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
Researchers said the sword also carried symbolic significance.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
The scene isn’t entirely symbolic.
—Steve Appleford, SPIN, 7 Apr. 2026
Beyond distance, the mission also logged a symbolic milestone, with ground teams sending what is believed to be the longest person-to-person message ever transmitted, highlighting the evolving nature of human communication in deep space.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
Researchers said the sword also carried symbolic significance.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
The scene isn’t entirely symbolic.
—Steve Appleford, SPIN, 7 Apr. 2026
Beyond distance, the mission also logged a symbolic milestone, with ground teams sending what is believed to be the longest person-to-person message ever transmitted, highlighting the evolving nature of human communication in deep space.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for symbolic
Adjective
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The Giants became the first National League team to seven losses, and although 10 games is not a representative sample, there’s never a good time in a season for a team’s most reliable veterans to play sloppily or make decisions on tilt.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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But the opposition has lacked an organization and representative leaders.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Duchamp’s bicycle wheel, however, differed significantly from Picasso’s spoon, as the latter served a representational role.—
Howard Halle,
ARTnews.com,
10 Apr. 2026
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This means that representational alignment may be a solvable problem and a step toward addressing broader alignment challenges.—
Arryn Robbins,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But the big truck is evidently now emblematic of America and must be accepted by our trading partners, regardless of whether there’s customer demand.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
8 Apr. 2026
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The aguachile negro de res may be the most emblematic of the Vegas menu, bridging Cámara’s signature seafood preparations and the bolder, more theatrical red meat dishes one might expect from a Vegas restaurant.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Symbolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbolic. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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