idioms

plural of idiom
as in phrases
a sequence of words having a specific meaning the English idiom "how are you doing?" is our version of a greeting that in some other languages can be translated as "how are you going?"

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 idioms There are plenty of idioms to describe Andrean outside hitter Aleece Ehler’s freshman season. Noah Poser, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026 On the one hand, the translation serves as a source for the idioms of nineteenth-century English; on the other, as evidence of the ideas that the translator held about a Colombian woman writer. Literary Hub, 1 July 2026 The film’s look is inspired by ink wash paintings and wood blocks, moving fluidly between different visual idioms. Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026 Out of love for different sound systems, different writing systems, different grammars, different sets of concepts, different idioms, different ways of seeing the world. Douglas Hofstadter, Time, 30 June 2026 Language is often a reflection of the culture that shapes it, impacting tone, idioms, dialects and even silence across regions. Ryan Kolln, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 Probably because at the time many of the time signatures and chordal progressions that Miles used were over the head of a young guitar player still functioning in the blues and folk idioms. Steve Baltin, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026 The festival, which is organized by West German Radio and has been running in its current form since 1969, favors experimental idioms that customarily avoid obvious political messaging or clear cultural signposts. Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026 These days, Andersen has the idioms flying in Carolina’s locker room. Sean Gentille, New York Times, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idioms
phrases
Noun
  • Colonial Americans had varying accents and used unfamiliar phrases and strange spellings.
    Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In the years since his death, demos and early drafts sung in concert have shown how deliberately Elliott pared his lyrics back and tinkered with phrases, sometimes changing lines even after an album was finished.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Idioms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idioms. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster