proverbial

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But Mr. Tupy left out an unintentional consequence of Amazon’s global dominance—the demise of countless neighborhood shops, the proverbial mom-and-pop stores, not to mention the loss of many jobs at the large brick-and-mortar retailers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

On a typical sportsbook, bettors are up against the proverbial “house,” which sets the odds, whereas prediction markets pit traders against one another.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

Your child will have to call the institution that holds the account to retitle everything under their own name, at which point the proverbial training wheels come off.

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

As a result, the crisis "has thrown a proverbial wrench into the inner workings of the aviation fuel markets", the IEA said.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

Slavery was the unmentionable family secret, or the proverbial elephant in the middle of the room.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis