trope

noun

ˈtrōp How to pronounce trope (audio)
Definition of tropenext
as in cliché
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 trope But every turn back to genre tropes has brought out new depths from the author. — Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026 With that old trope — that beauty is in the eye of the beholder? — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026 Instead, Holliday, Bishop, Vaughn and Invincible performed another wrestling trope. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026 The trope has only expanded with our imaginations, with police boxes and phone booths and DeLoreans all sending us careening through time. — Amy Tordoff, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for trope
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trope
  1. truism
  2. commonplace
  3. platitude
Noun
  • There are, however, exceptions to this truism, which brings me to my brief personal list of best movie adaptations of great literature.
    — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026
  • There’s a truism that all models are wrong, but some are useful.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
Definition of truism
Noun
  • Wolff was only the eighth woman to drive a Formula 1 car (four more have done it since); the role, a now-commonplace one that includes driving the simulator during Grand Prix weekends to inform trackside strategy, was created for her.
    — Danielle McNally, InStyle, 28 May 2026
  • The videos are often integrated into larger montages of drone strikes, underscoring how commonplace these drones have become for Russian forces.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Definition of commonplace
Noun
  • The shorter run time also means some themes get reduced into syrup; the platitudes come as fast and furious as Tao and Elle’s breakups and makeups, with too little space to breathe in between.
    — Gemma Wilson, Boston Herald, 19 July 2026
  • As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, some of America’s most visible business leaders are doing more than offering patriotic platitudes.
    — Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of platitude

Browse Nearby Words

troops
trope
tropes
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trope.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trope. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on trope

Nglish: Translation of trope for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trope

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of kludge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All