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
Others have included $14 and $88 in their figures, numbers with symbolic significance to white supremacists.
—
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 8 May 2025
Careening toward bankruptcy, this country cannot afford symbolic gesturing.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2025
The fact that Bronze, a player who leads by example, scored the winning goal was symbolic of Chelsea’s never-say-die attitude.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Images vary from symbolic depictions of a 400-foot tall Beyoncé walking from the Lincoln Memorial to the White House, or lighting her cigarette with the Statue of Liberty's torch to more pointed messages.
—Yolanda MacHado, EW.com, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 8 May 2025
Careening toward bankruptcy, this country cannot afford symbolic gesturing.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2025
The fact that Bronze, a player who leads by example, scored the winning goal was symbolic of Chelsea’s never-say-die attitude.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Images vary from symbolic depictions of a 400-foot tall Beyoncé walking from the Lincoln Memorial to the White House, or lighting her cigarette with the Statue of Liberty's torch to more pointed messages.
—Yolanda MacHado, EW.com, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for symbolic
representative
Adjective
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In an interview with the Tribune a week after the debate, Meza said that although having a leader who is representative of the Latino student body is a good thing, her candidacy is not about race.—
Nell Salzman,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2025
-
The researchers’ rice paddies were representative of rice paddies in Asia, which means that what happened in their paddies is likely happening in others around the region.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Symbolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbolic. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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