watchwords

plural of watchword
1
as in words
a word or phrase that must be spoken by a person in order to pass a guard the watchword is changed every day

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in slogans
an attention-getting word or phrase used to publicize something (as a campaign or product) their latest watchword turns up in every ad from that company

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for watchwords
Noun
  • Bruce Springsteen didn’t mince words at the premiere of his new biopic.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Hollywood actor Henry Golding also spent years penning words of wisdom from strangers on the fly, finding power behind the random musings of locals to coveted writers.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Museums educate citizens, not through slogans, but through context.
    Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The slogans are simple, intimate, needy, and impossible to avoid.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Those banners were recently removed, replaced with Toronto’s postseason paraphernalia.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Thousands of fans waited for hours in the sun outside the venue, holding signs, banners and balloons — chanting, screaming and hoping to catch a glimpse of the star.
    Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 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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Cite this Entry

“Watchwords.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watchwords. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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