catachresis

Definition of catachresisnext

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catachresis
Noun
  • In this way, simile and metaphor stretch beyond what’s possible to bring us closer to what’s true.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Isla’s mother, Chloe Howell, said the tween loves to crack jokes at home and came up with the funny simile herself.
    — Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Forty-one minutes later, the CFIA issued—Orwell would appreciate the agency’s flair for euphemism—a Notice to Dispose.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Orwell was exploring the roles that euphemism, tangled syntax, and dying metaphors can play in obscuring the true intentions of a totalitarian state.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The soft path goes electric Modern technologies turn the chainsaw analogy on its head by making electrification the soft path to reducing energy use.
    — Daniel Cohan, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Forgive the analogy to another blood feud, but Trump’s attempt to mediate between Ukraine and Russia reminds me of similar fruitless efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
    — David Ignatius, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • But in terms of its actual content, the statement was pretty thin gruel, bristling with public relations-style circumlocution and vagueness.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Here, instead, she’s swayed by a dead Diana softly squeezing her hand and kindly hinting — the dead Diana is an ace at tactful circumlocution — that now is the time to show a mourning nation some emotion.
    — Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 16 Nov. 2023
Noun
  • Cats, however, may turn out to be the canaries in the coalmines — pardon the mixed metaphor.
    — Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Excuse the mixed metaphor, but the Viper feels like a great white shark on the road.
    — WSJ, WSJ, 3 Dec. 2022
Noun
  • Hyun’s solution is to agree on a code word that only the two of you know.
    — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Some couples and families even choose a code word that means the conversation is pausing, Wilson says—not that the relationship is disappearing.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Much has been debated and discussed about its many metaphors and symbolism, which employed elements of a splintered universe long before the multiverse was hijacked by Hollywood superhero spectacles.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • These metaphors take on fresh force at a museum whose collection contains so many mosaics and so many textiles, and which is increasingly dedicated to uncovering the personal stories of their makers.
    — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
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

“Catachresis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catachresis. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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