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
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
Writer-director James Agnew’s hackneyed action-thriller is woefully short on action and thrills, and generic enough to suggest it was scripted by AI.
—Joe Leydon, Variety, 27 June 2025
This hackneyed stance has turned his concert performances shrill and hollow.
—Armond White, National Review, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hackneyed
Adjective
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
Writer-director James Agnew’s hackneyed action-thriller is woefully short on action and thrills, and generic enough to suggest it was scripted by AI.
—Joe Leydon, Variety, 27 June 2025
This hackneyed stance has turned his concert performances shrill and hollow.
—Armond White, National Review, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hackneyed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hackneyed
Adjective
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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
-
Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
Until the legal process is exhausted, the future of TPS for Venezuelans remains uncertain.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The last set was grueling, and both of us were exhausted.—
Rick Cantu,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Plush cushioning on the insoles relieves tired feet during the day, making these comfortable enough to wear for hours.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Some people are probably tired of hearing my name.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
After which, dogs and humans being buried together became commonplace.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
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But the book cannot credit Boone with commonplace human thoughtfulness.—
Julius Taranto,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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So, if the idea of culture is overused, its importance tells the path to success — or failure.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Jan. 2026
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Lastly, Abbas notes that, like any exfoliant, citric acid can cause dryness, irritation, or sensitivity if overused or used in very high concentrations.—
Jacqueline Kilikita,
Refinery29,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Its first season felt like a preamble – slow and trite.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Jan. 2026
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Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan is an individual of such extraordinary warmth and compassion, to call him a mensch is not just trite but inadequate.—
Joshua M. Davidson,
New York Daily News,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The rousing trailer finds Prince Adam bored to death hiding out at a generic corporate desk job on Earth when his precious sword is discovered, which sends him on a wild odyssey back to the land of Eternia and its talking tigers, spaceships, gothic castles, and magic swords.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Crews bored tunnels about 300 feet down into a suction chamber so six pumps, each with a 6-foot diameter, can pull water up from the 2-mile tunnel.—
Claire Osborn,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Only a few years after her 21st birthday extravaganza, Paris Hilton had been overexposed.—
Serena Turner,
Vanity Fair,
29 Dec. 2025
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Film, even if it’s overexposed, underexposed, or correctly exposed, has a unique quality to it.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hackneyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hackneyed. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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