cliché 1 of 2

variants also cliche
Definition of clichénext

cliché

2 of 2

noun

variants also cliche

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 cliché
Noun
The oldest, most enduring cliche about government policy is the one about how budgets are political, not fiscal, documents. Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026 Nautical influence runs through the merchandise without tipping into cliche. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2026 The dialogue is overladen with snicker-worthy cliches, a swelling, melodramatic soundtrack that doesn’t match the mood, dubious cameos and plastic, perfunctory life-affirming quotes. Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026 Playing to the occasion Time for some of the cliches. Thom Harris, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026 Lines can be set for how many political cliches Trump uses, the number of interruptions from the audience, the total times a person is shown on camera, etc. James Powel, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026 Haleakala National Park, Hawaii Is fleeing to Hawaii to escape winter a cliche? Graham Averill, Outside, 23 Feb. 2026 His voice waxed poetic about Louisiana and its beauty while also critiquing the cliches rendered as the only acceptable terms to discuss a place that exceeds description. Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026 While the house avoids the cowboy cliches that overwhelm many Hill Country homes, Hardin did allow a few understated nods to the style to seep in. Richard A. Marini, San Antonio Express-News, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliché
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
  • 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
Noun
  • The primary limitation lies in generalization, the ability of robots to perform reliably across diverse, unpredictable environments.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Unlike vision and language, robotics lacks large, diverse datasets that span tasks, environments, and embodiments, thus limiting both scalability and generalization.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Even in Huntington Beach, residents tired of perpetual culture wars rejected two ballot measures last year seeking to give the City Council more control over a municipal library system that Van Der Mark long claimed was essentially providing pornography to children.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Ditch those tired frozen meals and try out something a bit more exciting in your work lunch routine.
    Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • But for UConn, the platitudes feel profoundly honest.
    Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Donovan reiterated a series of platitudes that haven’t changed during his time with the Bulls.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Wise knew that these hackneyed tools would get him nowhere.
    Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Few parents can follow the hackneyed wisdom of living in the moment.
    Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Ever since, intelligence officers have ruefully invoked that truism whenever they’re blamed for a major screwup.
    Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026
  • But, travel experts say, that truism doesn't apply during this tumultuous period.
    ANDREA SACHS THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Much of Orbán’s criticism of the Central European University has been directed personally at George Soros, who is Jewish, often deploying antisemitic tropes in what has become a crusade against the billionaire philanthropist.
    Alexander Smith, NBC news, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Because another person will perpetuate the same tropes.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Digital tickets have become commonplace, and ticket stubs have largely disappeared.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Corporate slop, carefully calibrated to appeal to nostalgic fans without offering anything new on their own terms, is commonplace these days.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cliché.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clich%C3%A9. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.

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