as in inscription
something inscribed on a gravestone in memory of a dead person
The epitaph reads "In loving memory of John Gray: husband, father, soldier."
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Recent Examples of epitaph
The black-and-white clip featured the late John Belushi, dressed as an old man, walking around a graveyard memorializing his co-stars with goofy, sardonic epitaphs; Belushi, of course, preceded most of them in death, giving the comedy a somber tone.
—
Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2025
His strength of convictions was his epitaph.
—Tyler Kepner, The Athletic, 4 Feb. 2025
In retrospect, however, Obama’s speech looks less like the dawn of a new era than an epitaph for a brief period of hope that was rapidly coming to an end.
—Joshua Keating, Vox, 15 Jan. 2025
The flood of late-night epitaphs respectfully flatters his image as a humble servant but doesn't explain the complexity of his character.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for epitaph
Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2025
His strength of convictions was his epitaph.
—Tyler Kepner, The Athletic, 4 Feb. 2025
In retrospect, however, Obama’s speech looks less like the dawn of a new era than an epitaph for a brief period of hope that was rapidly coming to an end.
—Joshua Keating, Vox, 15 Jan. 2025
The flood of late-night epitaphs respectfully flatters his image as a humble servant but doesn't explain the complexity of his character.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for epitaph
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epitaph
inscription
Noun
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The renovation work also uncovered a coin from 1862, symbolic carving, buttons, fabric scraps, ceramics and a paper with an unknown inscription, the institute said.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
16 May 2025
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One of the reliquaries was marked with a short inscription suggesting that the bone fragments belonged to the Buddha.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Epitaph.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epitaph. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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