variants
also symbolical
as in representational
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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Recent Examples of symbolic
However, Israel’s war on Iran continues, with the Israeli military expanding its campaign Monday to target sites symbolic for the country’s theocracy.
—
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 June 2025
The final outs were symbolic of their hard-luck day — including 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position — with Yandy Diaz lacing a 100.6-mph line drive into a double play.
—Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 June 2025
Spielberg is too canny a director to worry about whether the shark or its ocean habitat have any symbolic meaning, but his movie somehow serves as a framework that contains them, rather brilliantly.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 21 June 2025
The flag raising at the ambassador’s residence could have been more than just a symbolic move, Krummrich noted.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 June 2025
The final outs were symbolic of their hard-luck day — including 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position — with Yandy Diaz lacing a 100.6-mph line drive into a double play.
—Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 June 2025
Spielberg is too canny a director to worry about whether the shark or its ocean habitat have any symbolic meaning, but his movie somehow serves as a framework that contains them, rather brilliantly.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 21 June 2025
The flag raising at the ambassador’s residence could have been more than just a symbolic move, Krummrich noted.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for symbolic
representative
Adjective
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Lee’s assessment of this predicament is representative of the views of not only most Southeast Asian countries but also much of the world.—
Yuen Foong Khong,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
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But to say that Emma is representative of the ASD community is to misunderstand the nature of the spectrum.—
Laura Tillman,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Symbolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbolic. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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