a sign of the times
noun phrase
: something that shows the kinds of things that are happening, popular, important, etc., in a culture at a particular period in history
Having metal detectors in schools is a sign of the times.
Examples of a sign of the times in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lewis — consciously or not, solely or not, maybe just as a sign of the times — succeeded in getting Oppenheimer canceled.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024
Is that a sign of the times and past attitudes toward domestic violence or is there a deeper reality at play?
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024
And in a sign of the times, the bill has been updated since last year to include protections against the use of artificial intelligence.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 9 Feb. 2024
The Look: Embellished dusters, crazy jeans, wild hair: pretty much a sign of the times.
—Alex Apatoff, Peoplemag, 26 Aug. 2023
In a sign of the times, Marley & The Wailers all record in one room simultaneously in the clip, as opposed to isolating vocals and instrumentals as is commonly done now.
—Katie Atkinson, Billboard, 26 Jan. 2024
In a sign of the times, perhaps, all four of America’s largest carmakers passed on running Super Bowl ads this year—the first time that’s happened in 23 years.
—Steve Mollman, Fortune, 19 Jan. 2024
In a sign of the times, however, the two teams will instead be playing in Houston at NRG Stadium, home of the NFL's Texans franchise.
—Kevin Skiver, Detroit Free Press, 8 Jan. 2024
As a sign of the times, Peso became the first Mexican artist to ever perform on the MTV Video Music Awards in September – performing corridos in a space where regional Mexican music had never previously entered.
—Griselda Flores, Billboard, 8 Dec. 2023
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024
Is that a sign of the times and past attitudes toward domestic violence or is there a deeper reality at play?
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024
And in a sign of the times, the bill has been updated since last year to include protections against the use of artificial intelligence.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 9 Feb. 2024
The Look: Embellished dusters, crazy jeans, wild hair: pretty much a sign of the times.
—Alex Apatoff, Peoplemag, 26 Aug. 2023
In a sign of the times, Marley & The Wailers all record in one room simultaneously in the clip, as opposed to isolating vocals and instrumentals as is commonly done now.
—Katie Atkinson, Billboard, 26 Jan. 2024
In a sign of the times, perhaps, all four of America’s largest carmakers passed on running Super Bowl ads this year—the first time that’s happened in 23 years.
—Steve Mollman, Fortune, 19 Jan. 2024
In a sign of the times, however, the two teams will instead be playing in Houston at NRG Stadium, home of the NFL's Texans franchise.
—Kevin Skiver, Detroit Free Press, 8 Jan. 2024
As a sign of the times, Peso became the first Mexican artist to ever perform on the MTV Video Music Awards in September – performing corridos in a space where regional Mexican music had never previously entered.
—Griselda Flores, Billboard, 8 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a sign of the times.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near a sign of the times
Cite this Entry
“A sign of the times.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20sign%20of%20the%20times. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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