variants
also cliche
as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull
a cliché tale of lust and betrayal among the fabulously rich
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also cliche
as in generalization
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
try to write a love story without resorting to well-worn clichés
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cliché
Natalia Winkelman,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Unlike pumpkin spice, which has settled in to be such a seasonal cliche that people feel the need to defend it, pickle is still crisp and new.
—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
In this section, artists Wendy Red Star, Omar Victor Diop, Yuki Kihara, Frida Orupabo, and Dimakatso Mathopa mine the tropes and cliches borne of these images, and through satire and recontextualization, offer works that center their own empowerment and subjectivity.
—
The Editors Of Artnews,
ARTnews.com,
10 June 2026
Wednesday’s Game 1 of runs epitomized the cliche of basketball.
—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for cliché
Noun
Sarandon brings a welcome unpredictability to Sylvia, complicating a character who might otherwise have curdled into cliche.
—
Natalia Winkelman,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Unlike pumpkin spice, which has settled in to be such a seasonal cliche that people feel the need to defend it, pickle is still crisp and new.
—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
In this section, artists Wendy Red Star, Omar Victor Diop, Yuki Kihara, Frida Orupabo, and Dimakatso Mathopa mine the tropes and cliches borne of these images, and through satire and recontextualization, offer works that center their own empowerment and subjectivity.
—
The Editors Of Artnews,
ARTnews.com,
10 June 2026
Wednesday’s Game 1 of runs epitomized the cliche of basketball.
—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for cliché
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliché
Adjective
-
This is a directed, stereotyped behavior in which the highest-resolution region of the somatosensory surface is brought to bear on the object requiring the most detailed analysis.
-
In some cases, praise took on overtly stereotyped forms: words like 'love' were used disproportionately with female students, while 'powerful' appeared only for Black students.
Noun
-
Brousson is an Austin resident and often posts satirical videos teasing Texas cliches and generalizations.
-
Teenagers are tested on more advanced skills, such as making generalizations from a reading passage and comparing information from charts and graphs.
Adjective
-
Depredation occurs when a shark steals an angler’s catch off their line, and Florida’s fishers are tired of it.
-
Pugh is tired of seeing her mom suffer by no fault of her own.
Noun
-
There’s passable yet indistinguishable music in this exact style dropping every day, but the difference with Chicago’s Fatso is that his lyrics feel like scraps of conversations that communicate his hurt without leaning on platitudes.
-
Victor Lindelof’s pre-match comments smacked of bombast and confidence, the sort of words which are said but not meant, platitudes used to motivate rather than to be sworn under oath.
Adjective
-
Maybe so, but think of how badly Congress had stated those hackneyed ideas.
-
While not exactly a feminist screed, the script grants nary a free pass to the glut of hackneyed gender conventions in the golden-age canon without at least cracking a joke.
Noun
-
This is certainly true—and a rather banal truism.
-
Rick Jackson is testing that truism in his campaign for Georgia governor.
Adjective
-
Using ChatGPT, Gemini, and other artificial intelligence platforms to make everyday decisions has become commonplace.
-
When spreadsheets became commonplace, companies did not hire fewer finance professionals.
Noun
-
The ‘meet cute’ is becoming a trope in how people on social media talk about romance.
-
The framing often positions Clark, a white player, as fragile and in need of shielding from predominantly Black opponents, reinforcing racist tropes about Black women being overly aggressive.
Cite this Entry
“Cliché.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clich%C3%A9. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
