1
as in slogan
an attention-getting word or phrase used to publicize something (as a campaign or product)
we knew that their claim of giving "the best deal in town" was just a shibboleth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in cliché
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
there's a lot of truth in the shibboleth that if you give some people an inch, they'll take a mile
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shibboleth
Fruity Pebbles have become a new shibboleth in the ongoing feud between The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives stars Demi Engemann and Jessi Ngatikaura Draper.
—
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
This opens up the possibility that the agency can finally be wrenched away from divisive ideologies and progressive shibboleths and become a streamlined international-development assistance system that truly advances America’s interests.
—The Editors, National Review, 5 Feb. 2025
As far back as 2015, when all of Washington was under the influence of unfettered free-trade shibboleths, Trump warned about the dangers of economic dependencies, built up over decades of liberalization, that could be exploited for geopolitical leverage.
—Andrew Byers, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2024
Musk’s willingness to upend auto manufacturing shibboleths has also forced his legacy competitors to seek new efficiencies.
—WIRED, 21 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for shibboleth
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
This opens up the possibility that the agency can finally be wrenched away from divisive ideologies and progressive shibboleths and become a streamlined international-development assistance system that truly advances America’s interests.
—The Editors, National Review, 5 Feb. 2025
As far back as 2015, when all of Washington was under the influence of unfettered free-trade shibboleths, Trump warned about the dangers of economic dependencies, built up over decades of liberalization, that could be exploited for geopolitical leverage.
—Andrew Byers, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2024
Musk’s willingness to upend auto manufacturing shibboleths has also forced his legacy competitors to seek new efficiencies.
—WIRED, 21 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for shibboleth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shibboleth
Noun
-
On Thursday evening, the Interfaith Alliance projected protest slogans onto an exterior wall of the National Gallery of Art.—
Tiffany Stanley,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
-
In practice, trustworthy AI isn't a slogan or a static property of a model.—
Sandeep Shilawat,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Tribute banners honoring those who lost their lives in service will be displayed and remain up through May 31.—
Heather McRea,
Oc Register,
20 May 2026
-
Smoove’s banner Alternate Side Productions will also executive produce all projects made under the deal, with Rick Dorfman and Miles Grose also serving as EPs.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
20 May 2026
Noun
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His deep arsenal gives him a chance to handle a truism of the craft.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
-
Ever since, intelligence officers have ruefully invoked that truism whenever they’re blamed for a major screwup.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Taiwan Beneath all the platitudes, there are still some simmering tensions.—
Selina Wang,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
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The lyrics—elsewhere evocative—wilt dramatically, a slurry of platitudes.—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Other testing by the state’s environmental quality department found elevated levels of heavy metals commonly found in oil field wastewater including barium and bromide.—
Nick Bowlin,
ProPublica,
18 May 2026
-
The bromide invites teachers to underestimate their students.—
Steven F. Wilson,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Some, but not all, of those tropes are present in Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s behind-the-scenes drama The Beloved (El Ser Querido), which manages to add a few welcome twists to the formula.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
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The highlight, taking over most of the gallery space on 19th Street, is new paintings by Lisa Yuskavage, a brilliant inversion of the studio painting trope, looking as potent as anything she’s ever made.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield offered an observation that has since become a Washington commonplace.—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
18 May 2026
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Or is this commonplace in NBA transactions?—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Noun
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In the last few decades, that swagger seems to have collapsed under the weight of a tepid banality.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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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.—
Steven Winn,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shibboleth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shibboleth. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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