as in cliche
an idea or expression that has been used by many people an op-ed piece that's offers nothing but warmed-over chestnuts for solving the city's financial woes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chestnut
Noun
  • Nonetheless, there is a satisfying, compact completeness to their handling of the storylines of four different young mothers and sufficient grace notes are enabled in each case to stave off the cliches that occasionally threaten to engulf events.
    Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
  • Democrats kept presenting cliches as insights and old ideas as new ideas.
    Charlotte Alter, Time, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • But behind such vague bromides are specific national qualities that social scientists can identify and measure.
    Michael J. Mazarr, Foreign Affairs, 21 June 2022
  • The teenage Miller invited Horowitz to speak at Santa Monica High School in the early aughts, entranced by his bromides against multiculturalism.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
Noun
  • To butcher a proverb, if Bielsa is for you, who in that corner of England could possibly be against you?
    Phil Hay, New York Times, 22 May 2025
  • This powerful African proverb reminds us that a community of caring individuals—be it relatives, friends, or community members—plays a vital role in raising a child.
    Ronny Maye, Essence, 10 May 2025
Noun
  • Engage your team with ongoing education to help avoid harmful tropes in the workspace and in your brand messaging.
    Nicole Dunn, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
  • But the way in which the Rob Thomas drama played with those tropes while also creating genuinely compelling mysteries made the show a unique presence in the teen drama space, especially when Veronica chose to embrace her age and live life to the fullest.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • According to Joyce, however, this truism depicts both Bloomsbury and the Victorians as monoliths and prevents a nuanced understanding of the complex ways Bloomsbury engaged with its Victorian past.
    Jenny Noyce, JSTOR Daily, 14 May 2025
  • Democrats who look to California for inspiration would do well to keep that simple truism in mind.
    Editorial, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Historically, these White House sit-downs were dull affairs, replete with grip-and-grin platitudes and geopolitical jargon.
    Alexander Smith, NBC news, 22 May 2025
  • The lyrics, also Thurber’s, reiterate the kinds of platitudes found in Goddess’s book.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 May 2025
Noun
  • In a video interview, James spoke about her favorite ax murderers, the banality of chain saws and Paul Bunyan.
    Sadie Stein, New York Times, 21 May 2025
  • Despite—or maybe because of—its willingness to court banality, Childish Literature feels much fresher.
    Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • As the saying goes, the comeback is greater than the setback.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2025
  • Final Thoughts There’s a saying in sustainability circles: The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago; the next best time is right now.
    Emmanuel Carrillo, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chestnut.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chestnut. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on chestnut

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!