the stuff of legend

idiomatic phrase

variants or less commonly the stuff of legends
1
: someone or something that is told about in legend
Dragons are still the stuff of legend. But in Slovenia, a bizarre, cave-dwelling … salamander serves as a worthy, real-life stand-in.Olivia Lowenberg
2
: someone or something that is very famous or memorable
Earlier that summer, Saito faced off with Tanaka in Japan's national high school championships, which are at least the equivalent of March Madness in the United States. Their battles were the stuff of legend, but Saito's team won and he struck out Tanaka for the final out of the deciding game.Anthony Rieber
For those of us who ran around in it, the blizzard of '78 was the stuff of legend, an unrelenting force of nature that smacked Boston upside the head for about a week.Bob Flaherty
The contest between ruling authorities and peasants over whether or not martyrs would be commemorated could itself become the stuff of legends.Anne Walthall

Examples of the stuff of legend in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Musselman once played future NBA guard Anthony Black 35 minutes a night in 2022-23, leading the SEC; Thibodeau’s heavy minutes have become the stuff of legends in NBA ranks. Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 17 Jan. 2025 On the other end of the field, Naeher’s last-minute block to preserve the U.S. lead and avoid penalties was the stuff of legend. Jeff Rueter, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024 Sabathia’s performance after the trade was the stuff of legend. Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025 His elusive abilities in and outside the pocket have developed into the stuff of legend at this point, but Mahomes found a seam from one yard out to put the Chiefs up 21-12 as the quarter began. Scott Thompson, Fox News, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for the stuff of legend 

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of the stuff of legend was in 1919

Dictionary Entries Near the stuff of legend

Cite this Entry

“The stuff of legend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20stuff%20of%20legend. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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