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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 metaphor
The face’s centrality to social life is inscribed in our language, in the metaphors that betray our world view.
—
Cal Revely-Calder,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
The creature has become a metaphor in the AI world, symbolizing the uncertainty around how AI models work under the hood.
—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
28 June 2026
Drawing on an astonishing wealth of references to the metaphor of two ships by figures from the early colonial era through the Civil War, Reynolds lops off the Quakers and the Scotch-Irish in favor of the groups that came first and seemed most antithetically opposed—Puritan and Cavalier.
—
James Traub,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
Take Hogarth, whose moral series seem to me to be exploring how storytelling works through metaphors of paths and journeys.
—
Clare Bucknell,
The New York Review of Books,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for metaphor
Cal Revely-Calder,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
The creature has become a metaphor in the AI world, symbolizing the uncertainty around how AI models work under the hood.
—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
28 June 2026
Drawing on an astonishing wealth of references to the metaphor of two ships by figures from the early colonial era through the Civil War, Reynolds lops off the Quakers and the Scotch-Irish in favor of the groups that came first and seemed most antithetically opposed—Puritan and Cavalier.
—
James Traub,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
Take Hogarth, whose moral series seem to me to be exploring how storytelling works through metaphors of paths and journeys.
—
Clare Bucknell,
The New York Review of Books,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for metaphor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for metaphor
analogy
Noun
-
This involves sharing only essential details, simplifying complex ideas with analogies, and prioritizing influencing action over mere information delivery.
-
An Iranian friend drew an analogy between Iranians who have experienced the Islamic regime to being a rape victim.
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 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
