as in cliche
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
"blondes have more fun" is a silly platitude
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Recent Examples of platitude
To many, the mural seemed from the outset little more than a platitude in place of progress.
—
Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Mar. 2025
Experts say your presence is more powerful than platitudes.
—Catherine Pearson, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Wednesday's bizarre, inexact, and amorphous Rose Garden rally was a series of endless platitudes.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
The Portuguese novelist José Saramago is a master of such ironies, in which a narrator’s bland clichés and platitudes hang in the air, neither quite owned nor quite disavowed, waiting to be ironized by the action of the novel.
—James Wood, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for platitude
Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Mar. 2025
Experts say your presence is more powerful than platitudes.
—Catherine Pearson, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Wednesday's bizarre, inexact, and amorphous Rose Garden rally was a series of endless platitudes.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
The Portuguese novelist José Saramago is a master of such ironies, in which a narrator’s bland clichés and platitudes hang in the air, neither quite owned nor quite disavowed, waiting to be ironized by the action of the novel.
—James Wood, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for platitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for platitude
Noun
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During his two-minute tribute, Dr. Robby — who’s suffering from acute existential exhaustion on top of the day’s extra-fine grind — falls back on a handful of cliches.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
11 Apr. 2025
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The song, the first disco hit and an indelible gay anthem, here feels like a pandering cliche.—
Christian Lewis,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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There’s a truism that outdoor dining was the one most visible silver lining of COVID’s disastrous impact on the city, and that seems plainly so.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2025
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This isn’t a Giants-specific truism, so the early returns can be meaningful, even in a small sample.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But Lee, wise to how the heart stutters, didn’t pander to audiences with bromides like love is love.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
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Antihistamines to reduce the body’s immune response (e.g., diphenhydramine) Bronchodilators to open the airways (e.g., albuterol or ipratropium bromide and albuterol) Your healthcare team will continue to assess your health status and give additional medications if needed.—
Carrie Madormo, RN,
Health,
19 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Platitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/platitude. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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