as in clichés
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 platitudes
As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, some of America’s most visible business leaders are doing more than offering patriotic platitudes.
—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
There’s passable yet indistinguishable music in this exact style dropping every day, but the difference with Chicago’s Fatso is that his lyrics feel like scraps of conversations that communicate his hurt without leaning on platitudes.
—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
24 June 2026
Victor Lindelof’s pre-match comments smacked of bombast and confidence, the sort of words which are said but not meant, platitudes used to motivate rather than to be sworn under oath.
—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
15 June 2026
What is in danger is that this will strip away the soul, the raw humanity actors like Jim Handy brough to each role and replace it with flat, generalized platitudes.
—
Carl Kurlander,
Deadline,
13 June 2026
The second was that, along with the platitudes about resilience, attendees were unusually honest about the Gulf’s predicament.
—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
4 June 2026
Not the word kindness, not the platitudes.
—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
The process is so slow that a City Council committee held a hearing earlier this month essentially to turn up the heat on administration officials, who offered no explanation for the molasses-like contracting process other than platitudes.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
But behind the pomp and platitudes, Putin is also facing Xi in a much weaker position than during his last visit to Beijing in September.
—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
There’s passable yet indistinguishable music in this exact style dropping every day, but the difference with Chicago’s Fatso is that his lyrics feel like scraps of conversations that communicate his hurt without leaning on platitudes.
—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
24 June 2026
Victor Lindelof’s pre-match comments smacked of bombast and confidence, the sort of words which are said but not meant, platitudes used to motivate rather than to be sworn under oath.
—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
15 June 2026
What is in danger is that this will strip away the soul, the raw humanity actors like Jim Handy brough to each role and replace it with flat, generalized platitudes.
—
Carl Kurlander,
Deadline,
13 June 2026
The second was that, along with the platitudes about resilience, attendees were unusually honest about the Gulf’s predicament.
—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
4 June 2026
Not the word kindness, not the platitudes.
—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
The process is so slow that a City Council committee held a hearing earlier this month essentially to turn up the heat on administration officials, who offered no explanation for the molasses-like contracting process other than platitudes.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
But behind the pomp and platitudes, Putin is also facing Xi in a much weaker position than during his last visit to Beijing in September.
—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for platitudes
Noun
-
The president used similar bromides in private calls to assuage allies, including Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson, before launching the war in February, according to people familiar with the conversations.
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While these songs might appear to be somewhat straightforward EBM that wear their politics on their latex sleeve, there’s a level of ambiguity at work that moves Kissing Luck Goodbye past its own bromides and into deeper artistic territory.
Noun
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Here, Laura, a magazine writer in London, drifts through old friendships, failed romances, and the gothic banalities of family life.
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One effect of this austerity and repression is to focus attention on Albee’s language, with its slippery banalities and barbs.
Noun
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Spain’s success over the past five years has undermined many long-standing political-economic truisms.
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The play isn’t subtle; the final sequence leans hard on truisms about addiction and trauma, which are affecting but overly explicit.
Noun
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Arriving on July 17 through Mass Appeal, the project plays on one of his signature sayings while conveying his mindset at this stage in his personal and professional journey.
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Plus, score last-minute sayings on tech products from Bose, JBL, Anker, and more popular brands.
Noun
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The episode is replete with racist tropes and stereotypes, made all the worse by the fact that it's all presented as an unserious Halloween treat.
-
Someone who is actually drawing on the tropes and the techniques of science fiction toward a different end, toward actually accessing capital markets.
Cite this Entry
“Platitudes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/platitudes. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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