as in analogy
an elaborate or fanciful way of expressing something
"it's raining cats and dogs" is just a colorful metaphor and not a meteorological announcement
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Recent Examples of metaphor
In Langbein’s comic, but also deadly serious, imagination, this is no mere metaphor.
—
Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
But the term has also become a business metaphor for the work of a CEO.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 21 Apr. 2026
When Rue meets one of Laurie’s customers, Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), a strip-club mogul fond of cowboy hats and the American frontier as an organizing metaphor, the everything-is-for-sale theme is amplified further.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
Pete made this amazing metaphor.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for metaphor
Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
But the term has also become a business metaphor for the work of a CEO.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 21 Apr. 2026
When Rue meets one of Laurie’s customers, Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), a strip-club mogul fond of cowboy hats and the American frontier as an organizing metaphor, the everything-is-for-sale theme is amplified further.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
Pete made this amazing metaphor.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for metaphor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for metaphor
analogy
Noun
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Klemperer also noticed how often Nazi propaganda used sports analogies and superlatives to make its point.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
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The analogy floating around is a burglar who can walk into any building, find every hidden weakness, unlock every door, and empty every safe.—
The AI Insider,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
Video
When Body Parts Are Also Verbs
Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes
Cite this Entry
“Metaphor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/metaphor. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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