assembly-line

adjective

Definition of assembly-linenext
as in derivative

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 assembly-line Not just assembly-line jobs but R&D and software — as well as the very brands that defined the economies at risk. — semafor.com, 9 June 2026 The same pattern repeated when assembly-line production expanded in the early 20th century. — Christopher Marquis, Time, 30 May 2026 When, in the early nineteen-hundreds, Gibson developed the F-style flat-back, inspired by the Stradivarius violin, the idea was to produce a louder instrument that could be used for classical as well as folk music, while being assembly-line-friendly. — Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026 The Medicaid system in particular encourages providers to go for volume with quick, indifferent assembly-line care. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for assembly-line
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assembly-line
  1. derivative
  2. hackneyed
  3. cookie-cutter
  4. unoriginal
  5. canned
  6. pedestrian
  7. stodgy
Adjective
  • Even Cyrus’ freakishly long nails and eerie voice are derivative of other horror movie boogeymen, but without their grasp of the uncannily malevolent.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Gifford believes the results bear on the legal question of whether models’ outputs are merely derivative works, with implications for copyright.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of derivative
Adjective
  • Maybe so, but think of how badly Congress had stated those hackneyed ideas.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • While not exactly a feminist screed, the script grants nary a free pass to the glut of hackneyed gender conventions in the golden-age canon without at least cracking a joke.
    — Naveen Kumar, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Definition of hackneyed
Adjective
  • Provost Palladino sent a cookie-cutter email to those of us who had written in outrage at the removal of Raz’s words.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
  • This is not to say that writing is ever cookie-cutter, or one-size-fits-all.
    — Rajani LaRocca, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of cookie-cutter
Adjective
  • Summary Leaders are increasingly sounding generic, often using similar buzzwords, a trend exacerbated by AI's ability to generate competent but unoriginal communication.
    — Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • No moral panic is more unoriginal than the fear that contemporary men are no longer as manly as the heroes who preceded them.
    — Elizabeth Dray, STAT, 21 July 2026
Definition of unoriginal
Adjective
  • Party Potatoes has the three C’s of comfort food—carbs, canned soup, and cheese.
    — Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Their flavor is different, but many recipes are written for canned or jarred hearts rather than fresh artichokes.
    — Bridget Shirvell, Martha Stewart, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of canned
Adjective
  • In addition to its badging, the 53 looks noticeably more focused than its more pedestrian CLA Class siblings.
    — Peter Nelson, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
  • Patrick Mahomes has not quite looked himself, the wide receivers have been inconsistent, and the running game has been pedestrian, at best.
    — Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2025
Definition of pedestrian
Adjective
  • Few ideas on Wall Street have been better than the reinvention of insurance from stodgy backwater to dealmakers’ playground.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Plus, the lemon brings contrasting brightness that keeps it from tasting stodgy.
    — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 July 2026
Definition of stodgy

Browse Nearby Words

assembly
assembly-line
assemblyman
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Assembly-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assembly-line. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
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 tilde

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

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
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All