metaphorically
adverb
met·a·phor·i·cal·ly
ˌme-tə-ˈfȯr-i-k(ə-)lē 
-ˈfär-
: in a metaphorical or figurative sense rather than a literal sense : by using a metaphor
At the center of every encryption system is a secret number or mathematical operation, metaphorically referred to as a key.—
Peter Wayner
Peter WaynerAt a typical event, he comes crashing onstage, delivers a macho statement of intent, metaphorically flexes his muscles, then roars away.—Terry McCarthy
Terry McCarthyThey settled in Somerville, Mass., next door to Cambridge but metaphorically across the tracks.—Laura Shapiro
Laura ShapiroExamples of metaphorically in a Sentence
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That rather than the age-old dream of standing on the shoulders of the generations that preceded us, future generations will be metaphorically locked into the limited cells of their troubled physical and mental states.
—Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Nobody else does it quite like Jinkx Monsoon, and in a Doctor Who episode ostensibly about the Beatles, Maestro literally and metaphorically steals the show, wiping all the Fab Four’s hits from history like a better version of Yesterday.
—Samantha Riedel, Them., 28 Mar. 2025
Just know that at least the 2025 Giants are flipping coins, metaphorically speaking, and that’s not the worst place to be.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Osgood Perkins has guts – literally and metaphorically.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 21 Feb. 2025
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Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Nobody else does it quite like Jinkx Monsoon, and in a Doctor Who episode ostensibly about the Beatles, Maestro literally and metaphorically steals the show, wiping all the Fab Four’s hits from history like a better version of Yesterday.
—Samantha Riedel, Them., 28 Mar. 2025
Just know that at least the 2025 Giants are flipping coins, metaphorically speaking, and that’s not the worst place to be.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Osgood Perkins has guts – literally and metaphorically.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for metaphorically
Cite this Entry
“Metaphorically.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metaphorically. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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