1
as in slogan
an attention-getting word or phrase used to publicize something (as a campaign or product)
we knew that their claim of giving "the best deal in town" was just a shibboleth
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2
as in cliche
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
there's a lot of truth in the shibboleth that if you give some people an inch, they'll take a mile
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shibboleth
But for those who remain beholden to the shibboleths that once justified that act of national self-harm, the Times’ acknowledgment of the obvious might be valuable.
—
The Editors, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024
Musk’s willingness to upend auto manufacturing shibboleths has also forced his legacy competitors to seek new efficiencies.
—WIRED, 21 Sep. 2023
Nothing is sacrificed to the shibboleth of good taste.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
Far from being a shibboleth of evil, the company is like any other trying to turn a profit in the Western world in 2023, which comes with its own issues and frustrations separate from the ones posited by Kristof in his viral article.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for shibboleth
The Editors, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024
Musk’s willingness to upend auto manufacturing shibboleths has also forced his legacy competitors to seek new efficiencies.
—WIRED, 21 Sep. 2023
Nothing is sacrificed to the shibboleth of good taste.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
Far from being a shibboleth of evil, the company is like any other trying to turn a profit in the Western world in 2023, which comes with its own issues and frustrations separate from the ones posited by Kristof in his viral article.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for shibboleth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shibboleth
Noun
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Golden Lessons for Brands Everywhere Briggs & Riley’s enduring success offers critical lessons that reach far beyond the luggage sector on the importance of delivering on brand promise: Substance wins over slogan.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
-
If space were truly empty—an utter vacuum, devoid of any matter—then yes, the Alien slogan would be unquestionably correct.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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All while staying far, far away from the tropes and cliches associated with your typical medical drama.—
Rachel Elspeth Gross,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
-
His candor bucks convention, running against the constant cliches or coachspeak from his counterparts.—
Chandler Rome,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Barack and Michelle Obama will executive produce under their Higher Ground banner along with Vinnie Malhotra.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
2 May 2025
-
In Bern, Switzerland, thousands marched behind banners denouncing fascism and war — part of a wider backlash against the global surge of hard-right politics.—
Thomas Adamson and Yuri Kageyama,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2025
Noun
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All the players corroborate a truism: Politics attracts deformed personalities featuring an insatiable lust of power for the sake of power to fuel self-esteem.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
1 May 2025
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Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Inconsistency is to be expected, especially after injury and so few meaningful minutes for the first team, but the positive words are not just easy platitudes: he is genuinely considered to apply himself well in training and present himself with professionalism.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
3 Apr. 2025
-
However, too often, sales kickoffs fall short of their potential, becoming mere exercises in rote presentations and motivational platitudes.—
Anjai Lal,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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South Carolina and other states had in the past had difficulty obtaining some drugs for lethal injections, including sodium thiopental and pancuronium bromide, due to shortages.—
Kristin Wright,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2025
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The executioner who initiates the flow of lethal chemicals into Tanzi's body then enters the room to begin the state's three-drug protocol — beginning with etomidate, an anesthetic, followed by rocuronium bromide, a paralytic, and potassium acetate, which will induce cardiac arrest.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Escala Forma Miami’s tropical tropes are all used at once, and to great effect, within this living room by local studio Escala Forma.—
Dan Howarth,
Architectural Digest,
28 Apr. 2025
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The first half is telling the love story that on the surface it’s meant to be about, which draws people in — using all of the tropes of romantic stories at the pop culture level.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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There’s that scene with the jujubes and chestnuts in the ceremony and people not knowing which one represents sons and daughters.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
18 Apr. 2025
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My pocket guide said its fruits taste like chestnuts.—
Dina Mishev Max Whittaker,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shibboleth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shibboleth. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
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