as in proverb
a short sentence or phrase that expresses a rule guiding the behavior of a particular person or group
"Hope for the best and prepare for the worst" is my motto. The Scout motto is "Be prepared."
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Recent Examples of motto
An unexpected new burst of infamy arrived in 2011, when the motto appeared at SlutWalk NYC, a feminist protest, on a sign held by a protester—a white woman, as far as anyone could tell.
—
Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
In fact, in the days when paychecks were mailed to employees, this emphasis on customer service became a motto.
—John Beifuss, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Sí Se Puede is the iconic motto of the United Farm Workers of America, which was founded by both Chavez and Huerta.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
Too seldom is the collective good even an afterthought, E Pluribus Unum a motto untranslated and ignored.
—Rabbi Dan Levin, Sun Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motto
Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
In fact, in the days when paychecks were mailed to employees, this emphasis on customer service became a motto.
—John Beifuss, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Sí Se Puede is the iconic motto of the United Farm Workers of America, which was founded by both Chavez and Huerta.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
Too seldom is the collective good even an afterthought, E Pluribus Unum a motto untranslated and ignored.
—Rabbi Dan Levin, Sun Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motto
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motto
Noun
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What does the phrase squeaky bum time, the racehorse Devon Loch, and the Portuguese proverb ‘morrer na prais’ all have in common?—
Ian Irving,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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The rooms The old Japanese proverb ‘*kachou fuugetsu’—*which translates as ‘flower, bird, wind, moon’ evoking a sense of the transient beauty of nature—is a key concept at the hotel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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What’s that famous saying about hell hath no fury?—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
16 May 2026
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Sets come in half-dozens and include designs like a soccer ball, a flag, celebratory sayings in the language and a jersey, according to its website.—
Noelle Alviz-Gransee
May 15,
Kansas City Star,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Each puzzle has exactly one solution, so watch out for words or items that seem to belong to multiple categories!—
Mark Cooper,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
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One important tool in early natural-language-processing work was ranking the frequency of word sequences.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Noun
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But that maxim may not hold up this year.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
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But the maxim applies in a different way in the documentary Fork in the Road, which made its world premiere Saturday at the Sonoma International Film Festival in California’s wine country.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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One may argue that a more fundamental theory (with more complete axioms) could decide the question, but the final theory should not have undecidable statements.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
18 May 2026
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Each starts from its own axioms, and those axioms can be diametrically opposed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Noun
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The next step is the dissolution of truth and the prioritisation of loyalty above decency.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
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Vader’s reveal to Luke about being the kid’s father is an all-time truth bomb, and is made better when compared to Luke’s visions of the man behind the mask.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motto.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motto. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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