There is no sense to keep considering figurative ways to improve the small business. (personalmoneyservice.com)
Peirce knew that in discussing evolution in this way, he was speculating and resorting to figurative ways of forming his thesis. (religion-online.org)
This is probably an extreme Christian view (I hope so anyway), but most commentaries I have read on this text interpret the burning coals in some sort of figurative way so that it refers to something along the lines of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, or a searing of the mind with the truth of God's Word, or bringing upon your enemy a red face of shame, or something like that. (redeeminggod.com)