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Showing results for metaphor. Search instead for metaphern.
Definitions

metaphor

[met-uh-fawr, -fer] / ˈmɛt əˌfɔr, -fər /
NOUN
figure of speech, implied comparison
Synonyms
Antonyms
WEAK
plain speech


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.

The metaphor worked because Fourth Amendment law still relies heavily on physical intuition.

From Slate • May 20, 2026

A more accurate metaphor would be credit termites — insects that infest and destroy structural timbers.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

The fictional movie he’s making looks stiff, a period epic about Spain’s colonialist withdrawal from the Sahara in the 1930s, which doubles as a metaphor for the father’s destructive absence from his now-adult child’s life.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

The web may be the most important metaphor of our time, from our web-of-life ecosystems to the World Wide Web that connects our devices.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

When I visit the local branch of my bank, I don’t think of this vast business as a tree, but ‘branch’ here is a dead metaphor.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton




Vocabulary lists containing metaphor


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