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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It’s been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story.—
Jann E. Freed,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
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The Giants have one of the least-talented and most expensive offensive lines in the entire NFL There's an old NFL proverb that suggests games are won and lost in the trenches.—
Geoffrey Knox,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Remember the old saying: Red and yellow, kill a fellow; red and black, friend of Jack.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
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As the saying goes, crisis represents both danger and opportunity.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
10 July 2025
Noun
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When someone loses the ability to speak because of a neurological condition like ALS, the impact goes far beyond words.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
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In this superb biography, Joanne Paul goes back to the words More wrote himself, to try and get at More before fame and the accusations against him took hold.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
1 July 2025
Noun
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Everyone has a right to define the artist in special terms, and to attempt an epigram that will make a reality out of a convenient term.—
John Updike,
New Yorker,
11 July 2025
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It’s been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story.—
Jann E. Freed,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Apothegm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apothegm. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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