as in proverb
an often stated observation regarding something from common experience
her mother endlessly repeated the apothegm "cleanliness is next to godliness"
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Recent Examples of apothegm
As with every Together Live speaker, each apothegm is met with exuberant applause.
—
Zoë Ghertner, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2019
Zoë Ghertner, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apothegm
Noun
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The German proverb, roughly translated into English, means: Steady dripping caves the stone.—
Gabby Herzig,
The Athletic,
2 Jan. 2025
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But remember, where there’s fire, there’s smoke, which may be a reversal of the standard proverb but is highly relevant here.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes,
10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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That’s because in this new age of on-again, off-again tariffs, there’s no saying when your package will be delivered — if at all.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN,
27 Feb. 2025
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This saying certainly comes into play plenty when referees spot the ball either past or before the first down marker.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Many other huge companies have never used either word over that span.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
22 Feb. 2025
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Waiting for Vance beneath a low arch, in front of a gate that had the words arbeit macht frei set into its ironwork, was Abba Naor, a survivor of the camp.—
Massimo Calabresi/Dachau,
TIME,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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On his plane plastered with Trumpian epigrams, Vance makes the case for Trump’s second-term vision of enhanced executive power.—
Eric Cortellessa,
TIME,
26 Sep. 2024
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No one could tell the clock by him; no one could quote an epigram of his; no one could ever remember his being a friend of their daddy—or even their granddaddy.—
E. L. Doctorow,
The New Yorker,
1 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Apothegm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apothegm. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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