motto

as in proverb
a short sentence or phrase that expresses a rule guiding the behavior of a particular person or group "Hope for the best and prepare for the worst" is my motto. The Scout motto is "Be prepared."

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of motto Chard told Fox News Digital that there’s one other rule that hasn’t changed as Kate focuses on her health and future – the old motto of keep calm and carry on. Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 25 Mar. 2025 The Hill: ‘No pain, no gain’ is the motto of the new Trump economy. Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 13 Mar. 2025 This is not only impacting performance and productivity rates (though productivity rebounded at the end of 2024), but such work cultures can be counterproductive to the motto of efficiency. Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025 This is the motto of the dysfunctional family at the center of the new Netflix comedy Running Point. Judy Berman, TIME, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for motto
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motto
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
  • Diet As the saying goes, everything starts with your diet—and that includes bone health.
    Melanie Curry, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025
  • 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
Noun
  • 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
  • So Far The word takes on a whole other meaning, however, once Violet enters the swank joint.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
Noun
  • There is a lot of axiomatics, which seems to be closer to the Greeks, but aren’t the axioms largely chosen at will?
    Simone Weil, Harper's Magazine, 2 July 2024
  • Addressing reporters at the airport, Andrew Tate, who holds dual citizenship in the U.K. and United States, invoked a U.S. judicial axiom of being innocent until proven guilty.
    David Catanese, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Johnson’s joke struck at a core truth of Chicago politics.
    Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
  • According to Gottlieb, the harsh truth is that celebrity imprints don’t generally deliver for publishers and more often than not are a huge waste of time for the celebrities.
    Andy Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Motto.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motto. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on motto

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!