as in cliche
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 stereotyped
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
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
Yet these hackneyed qualities are minor aspects of a production that otherwise can be eye-opening and newly invigorating.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hackneyed
Adjective
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
Yet these hackneyed qualities are minor aspects of a production that otherwise can be eye-opening and newly invigorating.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hackneyed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hackneyed
Verb
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Among many challenges, the next president of the church will navigate how to lead a global church from its American headquarters – a church that continues to be misunderstood and stereotyped, sometimes to the point of violence.—
Brittany Romanello,
The Conversation,
10 Oct. 2025
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Mormons have also sometimes been falsely stereotyped as being polygamists because some of their early founders and members were, but the group banned polygamy in 1890.—
Niraj Warikoo,
Freep.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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There isn’t an obvious replacement, but fans are tired and want something else.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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Her recipe is simple, elegant, and designed to keep the party going without anyone leaving jittery or tired.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After over 100 tips, authorities cleared Wagner of any wrongdoing in 2022, saying all leads had been exhausted, but the case remains open.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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Advertisement Oppenheim exhausted his list of national security resources to figure out a more precise answer to this question, but came away with a split vote about the president’s response.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Shea butter and cocoa butter are thick and great ingredients that generally can’t be overused.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
25 Oct. 2025
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However, both can cause side effects if overused.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The mathematician John Wallis, recounting the story in 1693, didn’t say whether Rupert wrote a proof or bored a hole through an actual cube.—
Erica Klarreich,
Quanta Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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Denji is bored out of his mind by most of them, but the last film is good enough to move him to tears.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the end, the Guardians’ leverage arms were overexposed, and their bats ran out of magic.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Without shelter or sufficient support, this group is consistently overexposed to summer temperatures.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hackneyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hackneyed. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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