mixed metaphor

noun

Definition of mixed metaphornext
as in dead metaphor

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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 mixed metaphor Cats, however, may turn out to be the canaries in the coalmines — pardon the mixed metaphor. — Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 24 Dec. 2024 Excuse the mixed metaphor, but the Viper feels like a great white shark on the road. — WSJ, 3 Dec. 2022 Due to author error a mixed metaphor was labelled as a pun in an earlier version of this post. — IEEE Spectrum, 21 Apr. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mixed metaphor
  1. dead metaphor
  2. code word
  3. euphemism
  4. simile
  5. analogy
Noun
  • The media are somewhat responsible, so apologies for beating a dead metaphor.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2026
  • This shift reminds us that dead metaphors aren’t always terminally dead.
    — Rob Nixon, Smithsonian, 23 Mar. 2018
Definition of dead metaphor
Noun
  • Some couples and families even choose a code word that means the conversation is pausing, Wilson says—not that the relationship is disappearing.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • According to the Daily Mail, Baldoni and Swift actually communicated after the end of his dispute with Lively, and the two now share a code word when talking about the issue.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 July 2026
Definition of code word
Noun
  • This is nothing more than a euphemism for encouraging less citizen input and involvement in determining city policies and spending priorities.
    — Joseph Landers, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Sam Roberts, a longtime obituarist for the New York Times, wants to banish the euphemisms that attend death.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of euphemism
Noun
  • Isla’s mother, Chloe Howell, said the tween loves to crack jokes at home and came up with the funny simile herself.
    — Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
  • An image may resonate with deeper meanings (that’s what great directors can bring about), but the compression and displacement that make the simile devastating on the page have no cinematic equivalent.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
Definition of simile
Noun
  • The analogy isn’t all that persuasive at the level of ownership.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Astronomers are finding that in between the brightest stars, the 'tallest skyscrapers' in the above analogy, there are much fainter stars analogous to smaller buildings.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of analogy

Browse Nearby Words

mixed marriages
mixed metaphor
mixed metaphors
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Cite this Entry

“Mixed metaphor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mixed%20metaphor. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on mixed metaphor

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mixed metaphor

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