as in dead metaphor
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Recent Examples of mixed metaphor
Cats, however, may turn out to be the canaries in the coalmines — pardon the mixed metaphor.
—
Jan Ellen Spiegel,
Hartford Courant,
24 Dec. 2024
The triple-mixed metaphor says it all: Licht & Co. are struggling with the intractable problem of how to square the CNN brand’s promise — straight news — with the entertainment imperatives of nighttime television.
—
Erik Wemple,
Washington Post,
22 Dec. 2022
Excuse the mixed metaphor, but the Viper feels like a great white shark on the road.
—
WSJ,
3 Dec. 2022
Yes, a mixed metaphor, but that essentially is what has been in play to this stage.
—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2022
Those smoldering embers of shortcomings, now and particularly in the postseason, always hover — a mixed metaphor, admittedly — over some and consistently haunt others.
—
Gordon Monson,
The Salt Lake Tribune,
28 Jan. 2022
Eye strain, like neck, back, or wrist strain, is nothing to be sneezed at, to use a very mixed metaphor.
—
Maria Shine Stewart,
cleveland,
28 Sep. 2020
Chloe mixed metaphors while describing herself as not smart.
—
Neha Prakash,
Marie Claire,
18 Apr. 2020
Jan Ellen Spiegel,
Hartford Courant,
24 Dec. 2024
The triple-mixed metaphor says it all: Licht & Co. are struggling with the intractable problem of how to square the CNN brand’s promise — straight news — with the entertainment imperatives of nighttime television.
—
Erik Wemple,
Washington Post,
22 Dec. 2022
Excuse the mixed metaphor, but the Viper feels like a great white shark on the road.
—
WSJ,
3 Dec. 2022
Yes, a mixed metaphor, but that essentially is what has been in play to this stage.
—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2022
Those smoldering embers of shortcomings, now and particularly in the postseason, always hover — a mixed metaphor, admittedly — over some and consistently haunt others.
—
Gordon Monson,
The Salt Lake Tribune,
28 Jan. 2022
Eye strain, like neck, back, or wrist strain, is nothing to be sneezed at, to use a very mixed metaphor.
—
Maria Shine Stewart,
cleveland,
28 Sep. 2020
Chloe mixed metaphors while describing herself as not smart.
—
Neha Prakash,
Marie Claire,
18 Apr. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mixed metaphor
Noun
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The media are somewhat responsible, so apologies for beating a dead metaphor.
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This shift reminds us that dead metaphors aren’t always terminally dead.
Noun
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That is why a simple family code word can help stop panic before money changes hands.
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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.
Noun
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The Execution Crisis Defined Rasmus Holst, CEO of Zensai, describes it without euphemism.
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Willmett and Harris are clearly uninterested in euphemisms, so there’s an exaggerated naivety to their lyrics.
Noun
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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.
-
Dryden’s famous simile, from La Fontaine’s own century, likens a translator who copies too closely to a man dancing on ropes with fettered legs: careful, precise, but never graceful.
Noun
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Mixed metaphor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mixed%20metaphor. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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