as in metaphors
grammar
a phrase that uses the words like or as to describe someone or something by comparing it with someone or something else that is similar
"She's as fierce as a tiger" is a simile, but "She's a tiger when she's angry" is a metaphor.
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Recent Examples of similes
Salazar-Thompson’s witty script — packed with hilarious metaphors and similes (like comparing a woman’s firm grip on her purse to that of a two-toed sloth on a branch) — make for a consistently amusing trip back in time.
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Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for similes
metaphors
Noun
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Anyone who seeks out career advice (in any field) is destined to get bombarded with metaphors.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
8 May 2026
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The artist has described works like this one as metaphors for the violence of colonialism in her home country.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Similes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/similes. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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