as in cliche
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
a screenplay that reads like a catalog of mystery-thriller tropes the narrative trope of two rival characters falling in love by the end of the story
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trope
But The Morning Show does it so needlessly and so predictably, hitting all the standard tropes of this kind of indistinct othering and then tossing the subplot aside.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
The potential consequences here can’t be overstated—the idea that robots can be taken over and used for nefarious purposes is already a science fiction trope, but the impact of a high-profile robot hack on the reputation of the commercial robotics industry is unclear.
—IEEE Spectrum, 25 Sep. 2025
With delicacy, Khuyagaa explores the tension between seemingly contrasting themes and questions cultural tropes of femininity, beauty, and tradition, drawing deeply from her personal experience.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025
Many nodded their heads in agreement as people discussed the sports thriller’s tropes and themes, which included sentiments from ex-athletes and people who are spiritual.
—Alexa Stone, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trope
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
The potential consequences here can’t be overstated—the idea that robots can be taken over and used for nefarious purposes is already a science fiction trope, but the impact of a high-profile robot hack on the reputation of the commercial robotics industry is unclear.
—IEEE Spectrum, 25 Sep. 2025
With delicacy, Khuyagaa explores the tension between seemingly contrasting themes and questions cultural tropes of femininity, beauty, and tradition, drawing deeply from her personal experience.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025
Many nodded their heads in agreement as people discussed the sports thriller’s tropes and themes, which included sentiments from ex-athletes and people who are spiritual.
—Alexa Stone, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trope
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trope
Noun
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Mentality is the critical factor here because, as the cliche goes, the defining feature of any champion team is securing victory in the face of adversity or underperformance.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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The same was true of the Dutch squad, and such situations have become something of a World Cup cliche, but in 1974 this was considered novel, and a sign that the sport had become overrun by financial interests, even at international level.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Vance and Miller spoke as if this were a truism.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
20 Sep. 2025
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That truism apparently extends to Switch modders as well, at least in the case of Ryan Daly.—
Kyle Orland,
ArsTechnica,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trope.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trope. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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