as in clichés
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
an op-ed piece that's offers nothing but warmed-over chestnuts for solving the city's financial woes
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Recent Examples of chestnuts
From chestnuts literally roasting on an open fire in the rain to a string quartet raising money for a mission trip decked in Victorian-era clothing, and hot chocolate being sold, the Victorian Christmas in Nevada City has been bringing visitors to this era since 1978.
—
Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
But chestnuts provide more vitamin C and may also be a better choice for people looking to limit their fat intake.
—Brandi Jones, Health, 16 Dec. 2025
Key Takeaways Water chestnuts are nutrient-dense vegetables, not nuts.
—Hannah Coakley, Verywell Health, 8 Dec. 2025
Either as a snack or as the first step in making the Chestnut Cake, these roasted chestnuts are a special holiday treat.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2025
Picture chestnuts roasting, holiday tunes setting the soundtrack, and Christmas lights adding to the scene.
—Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2025
The hills of their property are stacked with a variety of fruit and nut trees–from apples, pears, avocados and pistachios to lychees, mangoes, pecans and chestnuts.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 25 Nov. 2025
Once upon a time, chestnuts ruled the eastern woodlands of North America, with billions of trees stretching from Maine to Mississippi.
—Todd Plummer, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2025
Light a candle, roast some chestnuts, and scroll down for Entertainment Weekly's favorite cozy Christmas movies.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chestnuts
Noun
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There is a reason why the apocalyptic bromides about the state of print haven’t come to fruition, other than for disposable periodicals and newspapers.—
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These films explore those bonds without ever resorting to bromides or mawkishness.—
Noun
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There is so much pleasure to be had in rereading old favorites—and part of the joy is meeting beloved characters, who have been updated or somehow arrive in a new form to resist old tropes and types.—
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The other one that happens to me more regularly is seeing common tropes or scenarios from the media and tipping them just slightly on their side.—
Noun
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For nine months, Erasmus spent his short nights in a modest dorm and his long days in the print shop, expanding on his collection of proverbs Adagiorum chiliades while Aldus proofread, craftsman carefully laying sets of print and rolling paper through the press.—
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Includes quirky facts, adages, advice, quotes and proverbs, as well as articles about mistletoe, bird nests, perennials, timekeeping, recipes and more.—
Noun
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Throughout all of Lowe’s platitudes and boosterism, my attention was rapt, and my mind never wandered.—
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After, Sutton Stracke offered platitudes while answering questions about her fractured relationships with ex-assistant Avi Gabay and Garcelle Beauvais.—
Noun
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As far back as the Victorian era, exchanging a few banalities was part of a veritable social code—a way of signaling both politeness and boundaries.—
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Written by Noah Oppenheim, Bigelow’s real-time thriller about the banalities and actualities of a fictional-in-premise-only nuclear attack on the United States is Netflix’s best horse in the race at the Oscars this year.—
Noun
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By tradition, Ohio’s mix of snow, clouds, and cold suggests a year that may start with challenges but also holds opportunities for growth — and at least enough food to put on the table, according to the old sayings.—
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The new space resembles the old, complete with walls covered in graffiti with names, sayings, and pictures of the old Post Bar.—
Noun
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But the movie’s soft-hearted underbelly fails to support that reading, and by the time the story finally arrives at its final moments, the unsparing cynicism that supplied its initial lift has been dragged back down to Earth by the weight of bland truisms.—
Cite this Entry
“Chestnuts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chestnuts. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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