as in proverb
an often stated observation regarding something from common experience
what does the aphorism "Hindsight is 20/20" mean?
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of aphorism
The perfect vague yet totally true aphorism to throw at any put-down.
—
Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 31 Jan. 2025
The marketing taglines that bear the same force and resonance as elders’ aphorisms: 1010 WINS, American Express, Calgon.
—Alexandra Jacobs, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025
The dollar, on the other hand, is everyone’s problem, to paraphrase an aphorism from John Connally, the former U.S. Treasury secretary.
—Barry Eichengreen, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2022
Ben Whishaw, shot in black and white, says his name is Arthur Rimbaud and speaks in aphorisms to some unknown interlocutor.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for aphorism
Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 31 Jan. 2025
The marketing taglines that bear the same force and resonance as elders’ aphorisms: 1010 WINS, American Express, Calgon.
—Alexandra Jacobs, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025
The dollar, on the other hand, is everyone’s problem, to paraphrase an aphorism from John Connally, the former U.S. Treasury secretary.
—Barry Eichengreen, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2022
Ben Whishaw, shot in black and white, says his name is Arthur Rimbaud and speaks in aphorisms to some unknown interlocutor.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for aphorism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aphorism
Noun
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But Bluey’s comforted when Calypso tells her a proverb about a farmer who trusts everything will turn out the way it’s meant to be.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2025
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Whitaker nicknamed the place Sparrow Hall, a reference to a medieval saint’s proverb about a sparrow who flies over a royal banquet, feeling only a brief moment of warmth.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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There is a saying among lawyers and crisis communications professionals: A coverup is often worse than the crime or crisis itself.—
Rick Pozniak,
Boston Herald,
1 Apr. 2025
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Diet As the saying goes, everything starts with your diet—and that includes bone health.—
Melanie Curry,
People.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Unfortunately, the question of how much worth is placed on an Israeli life versus a Palestinian one is answered mostly in words, and thus, in too direct (and perhaps too didactic) a fashion, when so much of the movie’s drama could have grounded it emotionally.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2025
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Stephen Graham is mulling over the right word to capture the past month of his life.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Many corporate leaders still adhere to Milton Friedman’s maxim that the primary purpose of a company is to maximize shareholder returns.—
Roger Dooley,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Lamar Alexander reminded me of a maxim from the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, the conservative icon.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Aphorism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aphorism. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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