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
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Anderson found the origins of present fads in the fervent nostrums of the past.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2026
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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
Noun
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Our enterprising Gravedigger, a true woman of science, engineers a lizard elixir and regenerates the finger into a long tentacle that eventually demands a body.—
Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
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Opening day, then, brought unity and renewal that felt like an elixir.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But large-scale remedies, such as finding alternative sources of revenue like a general tax increase to offset property tax cuts, are less likely when lawmakers and Pritzker are seeking reelection — though political pressures are lessened after the November general election in a lame-duck session.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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In 2025, Delaware’s Supreme Court said Musk’s 2018 pay package must be restored, deciding that the lower court’s decision by McCormick was too extreme a remedy and did not give Tesla a chance to say what a fair compensation for Musk ought to be.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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To be sure, Ebony Alerts are not a panacea.—
Itay Ravid,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2026
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Cons to Using Orange Peels While often touted as a panacea around the garden, orange peels have some downsides.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Let’s challenge Congress and the president to fund $100 billion in research to find a cure for breast cancer and Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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Right now, there is no cure, but researchers around the world are working on new treatments.—
Jon LaPook,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Theriac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theriac. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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