dead metaphor

noun

Definition of dead metaphornext
as in code word

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dead metaphor The media are somewhat responsible, so apologies for beating a dead metaphor. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2026 This shift reminds us that dead metaphors aren’t always terminally dead. — Rob Nixon, Smithsonian, 23 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead metaphor
  1. code word
  2. euphemism
  3. analogy
  4. metaphor
  5. simile
Noun
  • That is why a simple family code word can help stop panic before money changes hands.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
  • The mention of a cover proved to be the code word, triggering the attention of the girl who introduced herself in a childlike whisper as Norma Jeane Dougherty.
    — Joshua John Miller, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2026
Definition of code word
Noun
  • The Execution Crisis Defined Rasmus Holst, CEO of Zensai, describes it without euphemism.
    — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 9 June 2026
  • Willmett and Harris are clearly uninterested in euphemisms, so there’s an exaggerated naivety to their lyrics.
    — Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 8 June 2026
Definition of euphemism
Noun
  • Use analogies, avoid jargon and check my understanding by asking me a question at the end.
    — Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • An Iranian friend drew an analogy between Iranians who have experienced the Islamic regime to being a rape victim.
    — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 29 June 2026
Definition of analogy
Noun
  • That reframing, from raw capability to fit-for-purpose deployment, is where the David and Goliath analogy becomes more than a metaphor.
    — Rivindu Perera, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • The rats are a nuisance and a metaphor for Aegon’s massacrous reign.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 July 2026
Definition of metaphor
Noun
  • An image may resonate with deeper meanings (that’s what great directors can bring about), but the compression and displacement that make the simile devastating on the page have no cinematic equivalent.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
  • Salazar-Thompson’s witty script — packed with hilarious metaphors and similes (like comparing a woman’s firm grip on her purse to that of a two-toed sloth on a branch) — make for a consistently amusing trip back in time.
    — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of simile

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Cite this Entry

“Dead metaphor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20metaphor. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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