as in repetition
a statement in which you repeat a word, idea, etc., in a way that is not necessary
"A beginner who has just started" is a tautology.
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Recent Examples of tautology
That tautology, in the age of Trump, is now a matter of judicial precedent.
—
Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 29 Apr. 2025
Saying ‘Hungary is for Hungarians’ or ‘America is for Americans’ is a tautology.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
The messianic claims of AI’s biggest stakeholders are tautologies: Generative AI will transform civilization; therefore, we must be empowered to steer it in the right direction.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
Sadaf spouts a tautology — faith as faith — that also holds for patriotism.
—Armond White, National Review, 22 Jan. 2025
Yes, a win is a win, but tautologies aside, for the Niners, a win with Purdy playing like one of the finest quarterbacks in the NFL on Sunday would speak volumes.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024
In this tautology, the act of spending is proof that the spending is justified.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024
The goal was to market something in every category, which led to the occasional tautology.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 22 Aug. 2024
In other words, the industry is asking the world to engage in something like a trillion-dollar tautology: AI’s world-transformative potential justifies spending any amount of resources, because its evangelists will spend any amount to make AI transform the world.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 29 July 2024
Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 29 Apr. 2025
Saying ‘Hungary is for Hungarians’ or ‘America is for Americans’ is a tautology.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
The messianic claims of AI’s biggest stakeholders are tautologies: Generative AI will transform civilization; therefore, we must be empowered to steer it in the right direction.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
Sadaf spouts a tautology — faith as faith — that also holds for patriotism.
—Armond White, National Review, 22 Jan. 2025
Yes, a win is a win, but tautologies aside, for the Niners, a win with Purdy playing like one of the finest quarterbacks in the NFL on Sunday would speak volumes.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024
In this tautology, the act of spending is proof that the spending is justified.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024
The goal was to market something in every category, which led to the occasional tautology.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 22 Aug. 2024
In other words, the industry is asking the world to engage in something like a trillion-dollar tautology: AI’s world-transformative potential justifies spending any amount of resources, because its evangelists will spend any amount to make AI transform the world.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 29 July 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tautology
Noun
-
Lifting heavier weights or successfully completing more repetitions are other signs of muscle gain.—
Jennifer Steinhoff,
Verywell Health,
6 June 2025
-
Disjointed communication between interviewers often leads to repetition and confusion.—
Nadia Edwards-Dashti,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Noun
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That’s not hyperbole: Science says that linen truly is the most comfortable fabric to wear in warm temps—even more so than cotton or silk.—
Christina Pérez,
Vogue,
31 May 2025
-
The dialogue was undoubtedly meant as light-hearted hyperbole, but given how much the racial roots of country have been part of that national discourse recently, it was understandably seen by many viewers as a failure to read the larger room.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
28 May 2025
Noun
-
United confirmed in February that they were set to make 150 to 200 redundancies as part of wider cost-cutting measures, following the 250 layoffs made the previous summer.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
-
These include fractured value chains, delayed access to critical resources, and the urgent need for strategic redundancy.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tautology.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tautology. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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