as in nostrum
something that cures all ills or problems
the wizard's attempts to concoct a theriac for the king came to naught
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Recent Examples of theriac
But with its long list of as many as 80 ingredients and high status, theriac was expensive and exclusive.
—
Elizabeth Heath, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2023
Zinc lozenges suddenly became the theriac to cure all ills; masks and hand-sanitizer, the ambergris and zedoary to ward off infection.
—Spencer Strub, The New York Review of Books, 25 Mar. 2020
Elizabeth Heath, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2023
Zinc lozenges suddenly became the theriac to cure all ills; masks and hand-sanitizer, the ambergris and zedoary to ward off infection.
—Spencer Strub, The New York Review of Books, 25 Mar. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theriac
Noun
-
Because of the false but persistent and powerfully seductive nostrum that reducing the value of a country’s currency will stimulate its economy by making its exports cheaper and its imports more expensive.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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But Wolff’s work and influence, alongside a simultaneous rise in the fields of psychology and psychosomatic medicine, helped to disperse those nostrums into the wider culture—and into the prevailing paradigm within which other headache scientists and clinicians toiled.—
Tom Zeller Jr.
July 30,
Literary Hub,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
There’s also a Caramel Espresso Martini and an elixir called Fluffy Dreams (gin, zesty syrup, lemon juice, aquafaba, Luxardo Apricot Liqueur, elderflower, citrus bitters).—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
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The masses, demeaned and starved, see in tyranny a tantalizing elixir of equality and self-respect, which will liberate them from élite domination and deliver them from want and anxieties.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Soaking the hair in apple cider vinegar is a common at-home remedy that may help reduce irritation with mixed results.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
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Broce has been applauded for reducing the number of complex needs kids living in hotels, a troublesome practice many states use as a remedy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Sansone said the financing deal Shaw was trying to strike was no panacea.—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Mar. 2026
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As California is amply demonstrating with the hasty exits of many of its billionaires in the face of a potential state tax on their unrealized paper wealth, taxing the rich (at least by itself) is no panacea.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Seeing a large patch of them in full flower can be a cure for cabin fever.—
Charles Seabrook,
AJC.com,
7 Mar. 2026
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There is no cure for this disease, so dispose of these plants before the beetles can feed further and spread the bacteria to other plants.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Theriac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theriac. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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