as in books
a set of printed sheets of paper bound together between covers and forming a work of fiction or nonfiction
picked up a thick tome on the Roman Empire at a used book store
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Recent Examples of tomes
This January, many such tomes on my shelves suddenly seemed to have offered all along nothing more than obfuscation, the opposite of illumination.
—
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Some gravitate towards glossy fashion retrospectives; others prefer weighty interior design tomes or evocative travel volumes that capture a specific moment in time–the Italian coastline at the height of summer, for example.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2026
One of the world’s largest exhibitions of olden literature is gathering more than a hundred booksellers from across the globe to share their choicest wares — rare tomes, illustrations, maps, historical documents and random ephemera guaranteed to level-up your bookshelf and walls.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
The philosopher Aristotle wrote tomes on morality and human behavior.
—Tara Sonenshine, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2026
Their selection of Florida-specific books, cookbooks, and coffee table tomes make the perfect present for friends and family.
—Meredith Lindemon, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2026
The other 19% constitute freaks at the far end, who read 10 or more tomes.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
Aptly titled Ultimate Collector Watches, the two tomes spotlight 100 of the most incredible timepieces ever made and provide a comprehensive historical overview of haute horlogerie, from the very first pocket watches to the latest and greatest one-offs.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 31 Dec. 2025
Naturally, a unique coffee table begs for equally interesting coffee-table books, and these spellbinding tomes are readily available on the secondhand market.
—Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 16 Dec. 2025
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Some gravitate towards glossy fashion retrospectives; others prefer weighty interior design tomes or evocative travel volumes that capture a specific moment in time–the Italian coastline at the height of summer, for example.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2026
One of the world’s largest exhibitions of olden literature is gathering more than a hundred booksellers from across the globe to share their choicest wares — rare tomes, illustrations, maps, historical documents and random ephemera guaranteed to level-up your bookshelf and walls.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
The philosopher Aristotle wrote tomes on morality and human behavior.
—Tara Sonenshine, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2026
Their selection of Florida-specific books, cookbooks, and coffee table tomes make the perfect present for friends and family.
—Meredith Lindemon, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2026
The other 19% constitute freaks at the far end, who read 10 or more tomes.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
Aptly titled Ultimate Collector Watches, the two tomes spotlight 100 of the most incredible timepieces ever made and provide a comprehensive historical overview of haute horlogerie, from the very first pocket watches to the latest and greatest one-offs.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 31 Dec. 2025
Naturally, a unique coffee table begs for equally interesting coffee-table books, and these spellbinding tomes are readily available on the secondhand market.
—Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tomes
books
Noun
-
No individual could write that many books.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
One law created new oversight, requiring oil companies to open their books and giving regulators more visibility into refinery profits and operations.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tomes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tomes. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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