1
as in boring
lacking in qualities that make for spirit and character
unlike their early work, the band's latest offering is banal and uninspiring
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull
please find new ways of phrasing your thoughts instead of relying on banal expressions
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of banal
The authenticity of the writer-protagonist’s feelings is undermined by the banal familiarity of a specific indie-film model.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
This is a banal statement of law, one that Hegseth himself has made publicly in years past.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Crumb, at the time, would be dressed unremarkably casually, in banal pants and sweater, with thick glasses, looking more or less like a geek.
—David Zane Mairowitz, Rolling Stone, 22 Dec. 2025
And that seemingly uninterrupted one-take is its own argument for the necessity of the medium to transport and astound us out of a banal world, one as banal as the one the Deliriant inhabits as civilization comes to its last gasp.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banal
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
This is a banal statement of law, one that Hegseth himself has made publicly in years past.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Crumb, at the time, would be dressed unremarkably casually, in banal pants and sweater, with thick glasses, looking more or less like a geek.
—David Zane Mairowitz, Rolling Stone, 22 Dec. 2025
And that seemingly uninterrupted one-take is its own argument for the necessity of the medium to transport and astound us out of a banal world, one as banal as the one the Deliriant inhabits as civilization comes to its last gasp.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banal
Adjective
-
Crank up some music and have a dance party during an otherwise boring moment.—
Margery D. Rosen,
Parents,
5 Mar. 2026
-
At this point, the UConn-dominance-is-boring crowd has had years to debate during the reigns of several incredible players.—
Chantel Jennings,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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
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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
Adjective
-
This one came off bland, with a sauce that bordered on soupy rather than creamy.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
4 Mar. 2026
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Ratmansky, by contrast, earnestly turns this light but pointed farce into a bland American morality tale.—
Jennifer Homans,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Simmons said Tarrant families are tired of O’Hare’s bullying, silencing and antics.—
Rachel Royster
March 5,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Mar. 2026
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His poor metrics are the result of the Panthers looking tired and worn down in front of him, and Bobrovsky not being consistently at his absolute best.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Back-to-back insipid losses to Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest, which remain the low points of this campaign, had seen confidence on the terraces drain away.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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Even the most insipid formulaic pop nonsense can induce that almost mystical reflection of life if your connections to the time of its airplay are meaningful.—
Jody Mamone,
Hartford Courant,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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If frictionless facial recognition becomes commonplace, theoretically, ICE is vulnerable to the technology as well.—
Sarah Jeong,
The Verge,
1 Mar. 2026
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In the one-reel short — which features only one single camera set-up, as was commonplace at the time — Méliès plays a magician who winds up an automaton dressed as the clown Pierrot.—
Eric Henderson,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The back-and-forth between Archie and Katie is exhausting, and the politics of academia, including budget changes and the revolving door of faculty and staff, are rather dull.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
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Cold temperatures dull flavors and aromas—meaning your drink just won't be as full-flavored as one poured at room temperature or served over ice.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Few parents can follow the hackneyed wisdom of living in the moment.—
Yiyun Li,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
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But the movie drifts into hackneyed melodrama that sits awkwardly against the gritty canvas of terrorist incidents, sniper attacks, bombings and police checkpoints.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Banal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banal. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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