The similes that are currently accepted into the Simile Bank can occur in two forms: the "as" form and the "than" form (we hope to include the "like" form in the future).

In each case, there is a word, usually an adjective, in the first part of the phrase that is compared to something in the second part. That word is called the keyword. To use the Bank, think of a keyword that interests you and search for it using one of the methods below. You might want to look for synonyms of the word you are thinking of (the category search can be useful for that). Also, remember that some similes are meant in an ironic or sarcastic sense, so you might want to look at the antonyms of a keyword ("sharp as a bag of wet mice" will be found under the keyword "sharp" though the simile is really about dullness).