cliché 1 of 2

adjective

variants also cliche
Definition of clichénext
as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull a cliché tale of lust and betrayal among the fabulously rich

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cliché

2 of 2

noun

klē-ˈshā How to pronounce cliché (audio)
variants also cliche
as in generalization
an idea or expression that has been used by many people try to write a love story without resorting to well-worn clichés

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 cliche of getting involved in activities that interest you where other people might go is actually a good idea. — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 25 July 2026 Speaking of the Joker, it's almost become a cliche at this point, but Heath Ledger's tragic turn as the Clown Prince of Crime is simply sublime. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2026 The footage is impressively photorealistic, but has all the aesthetic trappings of AI, with cliche shots and a familiar uncanny sheen. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 15 July 2026 His straight-talking and cliche-less approach hasn’t stopped, either. — Colin Millar, New York Times, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cliché
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliché
  1. stereotyped
  2. generalization
  3. tired
  4. platitude
  5. hackneyed
  6. truism
  7. commonplace
  8. trope
Adjective
  • Despite their outer appearances and oftentimes stereotyped personalities, the ladies embrace each other’s depths and contradictions.
    — Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026
  • This is a directed, stereotyped behavior in which the highest-resolution region of the somatosensory surface is brought to bear on the object requiring the most detailed analysis.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Definition of stereotyped
Noun
  • The third is to develop novel variations of your stimuli or your benchmark items in order to test robustness and generalization.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 20 Aug. 2026
  • That is where business-specific nuance matters most, and where vendor generalization often fits least.
    — Andrew Siemer, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of generalization
Adjective
  • His handicapping merited attention and newsletter sales, but Steele soon tired of tipping his own hand to the oddsmakers in Vegas.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • More and more young people are turning toward low- or no-tech lives, tired of the endless scroll most of us face for hours each day.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of tired
Noun
  • In the second game of Monday’s doubleheader, Marmol showed his words weren’t just platitudes, pitching to Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz to start the bottom of the 10th inning with the automatic runner on second and first base open.
    — C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Today, Instagram unveiled a refresh of its wordmark, accompanied by the usual bland corporate platitudes these kinds of announcements are always packaged with.
    — Aurich Lawson, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of platitude
Adjective
  • Maybe so, but think of how badly Congress had stated those hackneyed ideas.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • While not exactly a feminist screed, the script grants nary a free pass to the glut of hackneyed gender conventions in the golden-age canon without at least cracking a joke.
    — Naveen Kumar, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Definition of hackneyed
Noun
  • But most politicians are pretty easily replaced, a truism that Moreno reinforced by going public.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • There’s a long-standing truism in the world of physical attacks that defenders need to succeed every time, but attackers need to succeed just once.
    — Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of truism
Adjective
  • Losses are commonplace in a market where revenue growth has not kept pace with rising transfer fees and wages.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Lex and Tesehki are stars of Zeus Network's Baddies reality show where brawls are commonplace.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of commonplace
Noun
  • Authorities found a note on Karmelo Anthony's phone with a long list of disturbing racial tropes and slurs about Blacks, whites and Hispanics.
    — J.D. Miles, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Tara and Willow were groundbreaking characters at the time, and Tara’s death caused real grief in fans who did not expect the Bury Your Gays trope to appear in this show.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of trope

Browse Nearby Words

cleverness
cliché
clichéd
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Cite this Entry

“Cliché.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clich%C3%A9. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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