proverbial
adjective
pro·ver·bi·al
prə-ˈvər-bē-əl 
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a proverb
2
: that has become a proverb or byword : commonly spoken of
the proverbial smoking gun
Examples of proverbial in a Sentence
Insanity roamed through her large midwestern tribe, cloistered in proverbial dark closets in gabled houses in areas of the country where no one else lived for miles and miles …
—
Lynne Tillman, Motion Sickness, 1991
I keep running across people who speak fondly about what they imagine to be the comforts of autocracy, who long for the assurances of the proverbial man on the white horse likely to do something hard and puritanical about the moral relativism that has made a mess of the cities, the schools, and prime-time television.
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, November 1990
Lynne Tillman, Motion Sickness, 1991
I keep running across people who speak fondly about what they imagine to be the comforts of autocracy, who long for the assurances of the proverbial man on the white horse likely to do something hard and puritanical about the moral relativism that has made a mess of the cities, the schools, and prime-time television.
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, November 1990
Recent Examples on the Web
Much proverbial ink has been spilled on the question of what to do about this.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Find that thought that gives you the energy to lace your proverbial sneakers and run.
—Nazar Gulyk, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Get out some proverbial maps and make your friends listen to a few arguments about the most efficient paths.
—Jennifer Culp, Them, 1 Nov. 2024
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Tynion made his name writing Batman for DC, striking out on his own while the proverbial iron was hot.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for proverbial 
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Find that thought that gives you the energy to lace your proverbial sneakers and run.
—Nazar Gulyk, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Get out some proverbial maps and make your friends listen to a few arguments about the most efficient paths.
—Jennifer Culp, Them, 1 Nov. 2024
Related Stories News James Tynion IV Returns to 'Nice House on the Lake' for Sequel (Exclusive)
News
Skybound Taps Comics Veteran Ben Abernathy as Executive Editor
Tynion made his name writing Batman for DC, striking out on his own while the proverbial iron was hot.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for proverbial
Dictionary Entries Near proverbial
Cite this Entry
“Proverbial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proverbial. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
proverbial
adjective
pro·ver·bi·al
prə-ˈvər-bē-əl
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a proverb
proverbial wisdom
2
: commonly spoken of
the proverbial beginner's luck
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