Definition of banalitynext
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

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 In the last few decades, that swagger seems to have collapsed under the weight of a tepid banality. Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026 One effect of this austerity and repression is to focus attention on Albee’s language, with its slippery banalities and barbs. Steven Winn, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026 The scale and range of Dominique Pelicot’s partners in crime showed the terrible banality of their acts, and how easily society had allowed them. Gaby Wood, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2026 Sometimes, though, this immediacy leads to songwriting that’s literal-minded to the point of banality. Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for banality
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banality
Noun
  • The fire contained compounds from more than two dozen chemical families, including dangerous amounts of bromide, a naturally occurring element that can irritate the skin and mucus membranes.
    AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 29 June 2026
  • The bromide has been debunked, but there is power — and delight — in making coffee shop drinks at home.
    Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 25 June 2026
Noun
  • Wolff was only the eighth woman to drive a Formula 1 car (four more have done it since); the role, a now-commonplace one that includes driving the simulator during Grand Prix weekends to inform trackside strategy, was created for her.
    Danielle McNally, InStyle, 28 May 2026
  • The videos are often integrated into larger montages of drone strikes, underscoring how commonplace these drones have become for Russian forces.
    Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Noun
  • As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, some of America’s most visible business leaders are doing more than offering patriotic platitudes.
    Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • There’s passable yet indistinguishable music in this exact style dropping every day, but the difference with Chicago’s Fatso is that his lyrics feel like scraps of conversations that communicate his hurt without leaning on platitudes.
    Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • There’s a truism that all models are wrong, but some are useful.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
  • This is certainly true—and a rather banal truism.
    The Atlantic, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
Noun
  • But every turn back to genre tropes has brought out new depths from the author.
    Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
  • With that old trope — that beauty is in the eye of the beholder?
    James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
Noun
  • As the saying goes, hypocrisy is the tribute that vice pays to virtue.
    Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
  • One person’s flip-flop is another person’s strappy sandal… or so the saying goes.
    Talia Abbas, Vogue, 10 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Banality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banality. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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