1
as in topics
a major object of interest or concern (as in a discussion or artistic composition)
this dance piece deals with the timeless themes of birth and death
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in articles
a short piece of writing done as a school exercise
please write a one page theme on the main character of this book
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in essays
a short piece of writing typically expressing a point of view
the magazine will award a scholarship to the student who writes the best theme on the concept of personal freedom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of themes
Kilmer’s role ties closely to the film’s cultural themes.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 Mar. 2026
The series’ ad nauseam repetition, its pat dialogue laying bare its themes and episode titles reaffirming those ideas, feel like a desperate, and ultimately failed, attempt to prove to us — or maybe to itself — that Imperfect Women actually has something enlightening to say.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Set against the backdrop of the city’s recovery from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the film traces the two women’s gradual reconciliation through their father’s photographs, exploring themes of loss, identity and the Filipino diaspora.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
The 52-year-old restaurant pairs its Gold Rush-era themes with a deeply hearty brunch.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026
One of my favorite movies of all time is California Suite, a gem of a Neil Simon film with witty dialogue, an incredible cast, and themes that are as relevant as ever.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026
Star Tours is a Star Wars-themes motion simulator ride.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 11 Mar. 2026
The themes of a woman overcoming adversity and the unwanted attention from men of privilege and power sadly resonate now just as much as when the novel was published in 1979 and when the drama was shown on Channel 4 in January 1985.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2026
The two most common themes for Easter decorations are bunnies and eggs.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 Mar. 2026
The series’ ad nauseam repetition, its pat dialogue laying bare its themes and episode titles reaffirming those ideas, feel like a desperate, and ultimately failed, attempt to prove to us — or maybe to itself — that Imperfect Women actually has something enlightening to say.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Set against the backdrop of the city’s recovery from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the film traces the two women’s gradual reconciliation through their father’s photographs, exploring themes of loss, identity and the Filipino diaspora.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
The 52-year-old restaurant pairs its Gold Rush-era themes with a deeply hearty brunch.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026
One of my favorite movies of all time is California Suite, a gem of a Neil Simon film with witty dialogue, an incredible cast, and themes that are as relevant as ever.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026
Star Tours is a Star Wars-themes motion simulator ride.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 11 Mar. 2026
The themes of a woman overcoming adversity and the unwanted attention from men of privilege and power sadly resonate now just as much as when the novel was published in 1979 and when the drama was shown on Channel 4 in January 1985.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2026
The two most common themes for Easter decorations are bunnies and eggs.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for themes
Noun
-
Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Poverty Another group of seven lawsuits touched on issues related to poverty along with topics such as funding.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.—
Juliette Arcodia,
NBC news,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Overnight, multiple articles were written based on the social media post that originated from the group chat.—
Joe Brandt,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The authors found that users who heavily relied on LLMs submitted essays with 50% fewer pronouns, which was representative of the larger shift toward impersonal language that included fewer anecdotes and references to human experiences.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Her essays and criticism have appeared in the New York Times, New York Magazine, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Esquire, The New Republic, and more.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Inspired by the helter-skelter brickwork of Chiang Mai's crumbling temples, their façades feature masonry laid in intricate motifs and wooden lattices that create beautiful shadowy patterns when the sun hits.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
-
This soft coral tumbler is covered in delicate designs depicting motifs of women.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Authorities say surveillance footage of the cell showed that the legal papers were neatly stacked and no human excrement lined the cell walls.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Mar. 2026
-
In recent papers, researchers have bootstrapped the Veneziano amplitude, the formula for the scattering of two open strings, as the unique solution that follows from various sets of starting assumptions.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While the Justice Department settles most tax matters civilly through fines, when prosecutors do charge criminal fraud, their conviction rate is over 90%.—
Avi Asher-Schapiro,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Lee Grismer, an evolutionary biologist at La Sierra University, explained why that isolation matters.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
That combination — genuine suffering refracted through dark humor, hardship worn lightly — is exactly what American audiences are finding so alluring in Korean stories right now.—
Dan Bilefsky,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some questions may be adapted into full columns, and transcripts of the chats remain available after each session concludes.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
-
TurboTax from Intuit guides you through each step of the filing process with straightforward questions and access to explainers, videos and bonus tips.—
Brian Sloan,Dan Avery,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Themes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/themes. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
