as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull
it's hackneyed, but true—the more you save the more you earn
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in exhausted
to use so much as to make less appealing
advertisers have hackneyed the word "revolutionary" so much that it now just means that a product is new
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hackneyed
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 2 Dec. 2025
Unfortunately though, Cooper can’t escape certain hackneyed biopic tropes in representing the songwriting, which are almost impossible to avoid.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
The story revolves around this character in ways that feel hackneyed and forced.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Trauma is not a hackneyed literary trope in the work of Miriam Toews.
—Lorrie Moore, The New York Review of Books, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hackneyed
Adjective
On the first real mission in the jungle region of Fury Green, Samus encounters a Galactic Federation technician named Myles Mackenzie who, from his reveal in the pre-release previews, became a sticking point for fans due to his hackneyed sidekick trappings.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 2 Dec. 2025
Unfortunately though, Cooper can’t escape certain hackneyed biopic tropes in representing the songwriting, which are almost impossible to avoid.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
The story revolves around this character in ways that feel hackneyed and forced.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Trauma is not a hackneyed literary trope in the work of Miriam Toews.
—Lorrie Moore, The New York Review of Books, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hackneyed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hackneyed
Adjective
-
Kelly Enders-Tharp, a three-time surrogate and education and experience specialist at Growing Generations, explains that surrogates are often stereotyped, or that their backgrounds are misrepresented.—
Kris Ann Valdez,
Parents,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Later, Lenape artist Joe Baker places cutout photographs of his ancestors over the stereotyped images of Native Americans found in the wallpaper.—
Tom McDonough,
Artforum,
1 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Only when all reasonable remedies have been exhausted should litigation be considered.—
Awilda Esteras,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Barely a minute or two ticked away at Galen Center last month,but USC freshman Alijah Arenas already was exhausted.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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It’s been this way for far too long in the Bay State where independent voters are growing tired of this old act.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Sami’s hair and beard were gray, and his thick eyebrows arched over his tired walnut eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
As autonomous vehicles, from freight trucks to delivery robots, become increasingly commonplace, safety demands are rising as well.—
Etiido Uko
March 14,
New Atlas,
14 Mar. 2026
-
In partnership with schools, Google’s Chromebook became commonplace in classrooms, accounting for more than half of digital devices sent to schools in 2017.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Dallas’ blue line has more depth in terms of numbers, but its top three producers have been overused.—
Lia Assimakopoulos,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Mar. 2026
-
So, if the idea of culture is overused, its importance tells the path to success — or failure.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s all well and good, but the series still needs a sturdy narrative to hold it all together, rather than ping-ponging between random subjects offering trite, emotionally hollow morality lessons.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
23 Feb. 2026
-
What ultimately keeps the house from feeling hokey or trite is Glazer’s commitment to her all-encompassing taste.—
Mark Lamster
Architecture Critic,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Lululemon seems to acknowledge that some customers are getting bored with the brand.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Crime-scene investigators bored holes and pulled out a succession of neat plastic packages containing razors, saw blades, handcuff keys, and security bits.—
James Verini,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Journalists related stories to Brown of the future princess giving them the slip, joking with them, managing her media relations so she wouldn’t be overexposed or maligned.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Most retirees are overexposed to housing.—
Allison Schrager,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hackneyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hackneyed. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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