as in metaphorical
expressing one thing in terms normally used for another a tropological construct that no reader of the text should take literally

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tropological
Adjective
  • Yet if Love’s last pass had stayed in the air a tick longer, the owner’s feet, at least in a metaphorical sense, may not have touched the ground for a long, long time.
    Michael Silver, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Each of the three biographies—any good biography—vibrates with the intensity of its author’s possession by their subject and the thrill of exhumation, if only metaphoric.
    Megan Marshall September 25, Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The exhibit features recent portraits and figurative paintings that explore nostalgia, sexuality and companionship.
    Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2025
  • On November 2, 2025, the Baltimore Museum of Art will open the mid-career survey capturing the power and poignancy of Sherald’s artistry, tracing her ascendance to the most influential figurative painter of our time.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The figural birds are crafted in platinum and 18-karat gold with gemstones — appearing to perch upon the wearer.
    Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2025
  • As we are never returned to any figural baseline, our eyes are increasingly ungrounded.
    Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • After all, exits and grand finales are part and parcel with any theater and therefore any showgirl's life, and could be purely symbolic in nature.
    Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
  • No visual or symbolic vocabulary ever develops.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
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.

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“Tropological.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tropological. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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