as in cliché
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
another sitcom based on the banality of roommates with opposite personalities
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of banality
Sometimes, though, this immediacy leads to songwriting that’s literal-minded to the point of banality.
—
Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2026
Using the book as a conscious tool of image-building is a more recent phenomenon, however, leading critic Jaime Fuller to lament the banality of such tomes in his 2019 Literary Hub article.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2026
The film is a harrowing look at the banality of evil in its most dangerous form.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
Openness comes from these encounters with banality and consistency.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banality
Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2026
Using the book as a conscious tool of image-building is a more recent phenomenon, however, leading critic Jaime Fuller to lament the banality of such tomes in his 2019 Literary Hub article.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2026
The film is a harrowing look at the banality of evil in its most dangerous form.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
Openness comes from these encounters with banality and consistency.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banality
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banality
Noun
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Disruption without construction Instructors burned out with the current situation endure a barrage of repetitive bromides.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 Apr. 2026
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The bromide has it that a liberal is a person who won’t take his own side in an argument.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In the early 2000s, Sears began to use its website — the new iteration of its catalog — to help pioneer the now-commonplace practices of buying goods online and picking them up in store.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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By the time Szeemann was invited to organize two consecutive installments of the Venice Biennale (in 1999 and 2001), the criticism of curators’ assuming the role of meta-artists, in Szeemann’s case with quasi-shamanistic aspirations, had become a commonplace.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But for UConn, the platitudes feel profoundly honest.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
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Donovan reiterated a series of platitudes that haven’t changed during his time with the Bulls.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Ever since, intelligence officers have ruefully invoked that truism whenever they’re blamed for a major screwup.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
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But, travel experts say, that truism doesn't apply during this tumultuous period.—
ANDREA SACHS THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In the classic trope of stage magic, Jim lets members of the audience see the balls get placed into two boxes, mixed up, and given to Alice and Bob.—
Matt von Hippel,
Quanta Magazine,
17 Apr. 2026
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Indeed, the script is full of jokes about theatrical types and tropes.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.—
Bailey Berg,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Apr. 2026
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There’s a saying in Jamaica Davis, elected unopposed in 2024, vows to keep pushing the issue.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Banality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banality. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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