as in cliche
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

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 banality Over hard hip-hop beats and snarling guitar distortion, Gordon stammered about daily banalities, reframing modern life as a psychological war zone. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025 So much of modern football discourse is taken up with banality, immaturity, petty insults, utterly vapid arguments about the size of rival clubs, or fanbases, or the length of trophy droughts. Tim Spiers, New York Times, 18 May 2025 In a video interview, James spoke about her favorite ax murderers, the banality of chain saws and Paul Bunyan. Sadie Stein, New York Times, 21 May 2025 Despite—or maybe because of—its willingness to court banality, Childish Literature feels much fresher. Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for banality
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banality
Noun
  • Together’s cast and special effects department alone could make for a substantive horror classic, but the script is freighted with distracting cliches and errant plot developments.
    Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 31 July 2025
  • Bana embodies Kyle’s suffocating cliches with endearing commitment, his gravelly voice, gentle countenance, and steadfast capability combining to form a recognizable portrait of pride and suffering.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 17 July 2025
Noun
  • In response to these criticisms, colleges and universities have offered bromides – i.e., vague ideas intended to placate, not Bromo-Seltzer which is no longer available at CVS – about building industry or employer partnerships.
    Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
  • The same rule applies for hearing bromides about chasing dreams and believing in yourself.
    Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • The sheer number of stray cats in the U.S. makes encounters like this commonplace.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 July 2025
  • Luxury scented candles, like room sprays for that matter, have the power to elevate any moment: taking it from commonplace to utterly indulgent.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Every week, there’s a new example of the upside-down logic at work in the White House: platitudes that say one thing, policies that portend another.
    Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025
  • Walz seemed to agree but then retreated to platitudes.
    Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • River Of Constant Change This (above) truism was offered by Jonny Williams, chief digital adviser, UK public sector at Red Hat.
    Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
  • Now, as the president considers more forceful action against Russia, his party is sifting through signals of his future direction — even as Trump follows the truism that presidents’ foreign policy rarely conforms to a single identity.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 9 July 2025

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“Banality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banality. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

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