idiom

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Or, to use a Chinese idiom: kill the chicken to scare the monkey.

From BBC • Nov. 8, 2025

They are embracing a Chinese idiom: “breaking the surface of the water.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

It may be the most overused idiom to ever exist, but life is short; the only way to live it is to try our hardest to like it.

From Salon • Oct. 12, 2025

There’s truth in the old idiom: Knowledge is power.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 27, 2025

The idiom brings to mind the menacing gape of a predator, reinforcing our gratitude for being alive: to come into existence we narrowly escaped a mortal threat, namely the high odds against it.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker