variants
also cliches
as in tropes
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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Recent Examples of clichés
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
Hedda’s romantic picture — of Lovborg dying magnificently, with Dionysian vine leaves in his hairs, from a bullet of one of her own guns — smacks of the same literary cliches that has Emma fantasizing about a torchlight wedding at midnight.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 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
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
The Western is sort of stoked with a forge full of cliches.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 12 Feb. 2026
The cliches of Hollywood endings notwithstanding, Cumming is happy and at peace.
—Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
So, as media day unfolded Saturday, the coach offered a flow of cliches and sayings.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2026
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
Hedda’s romantic picture — of Lovborg dying magnificently, with Dionysian vine leaves in his hairs, from a bullet of one of her own guns — smacks of the same literary cliches that has Emma fantasizing about a torchlight wedding at midnight.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 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
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
The Western is sort of stoked with a forge full of cliches.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 12 Feb. 2026
The cliches of Hollywood endings notwithstanding, Cumming is happy and at peace.
—Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
So, as media day unfolded Saturday, the coach offered a flow of cliches and sayings.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clichés
Noun
-
Combining the tropes of the superhero genre with the police procedural genre, Powers follows two Chicago homicide detectives, Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim, who work in cases involving super powers.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Mar. 2026
-
There's all of these tropes and stereotypes about gender roles and women's roles in particular, especially in Victorian times, that would automatically align women's work as being within the household.—
Mariel Carr,
Scientific American,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Pestaina also cautioned against broad generalizations about savings.—
Liz Neporent,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
If there are any generalizations to be made about how different areas raise different types of players, Latson is qualified to make them.—
Rebecca Shore Winn,
Southern Living,
18 Feb. 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
Noun
-
The play isn’t subtle; the final sequence leans hard on truisms about addiction and trauma, which are affecting but overly explicit.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
20 Feb. 2026
-
One of the truisms in the past for Team Canada at some best-on-best events is needing a few games to find its game.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As far back as the Victorian era, exchanging a few banalities was part of a veritable social code—a way of signaling both politeness and boundaries.—
Jeanne Ballion,
Vogue,
27 Dec. 2025
-
Written by Noah Oppenheim, Bigelow’s real-time thriller about the banalities and actualities of a fictional-in-premise-only nuclear attack on the United States is Netflix’s best horse in the race at the Oscars this year.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In this case, some of the false storylines included racist stereotypes.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Some false versions even included problematic stereotypes.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Despite their clear affection for these women, the Dardenne brothers never sugarcoat their characters’ unenviable circumstance or latch onto phony bromides to alleviate our anxiety.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2026
-
There is a reason why the apocalyptic bromides about the state of print haven’t come to fruition, other than for disposable periodicals and newspapers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Canned Water Chestnuts Fresh water chestnuts, while hard to find, are sweeter and juicier than canned varieties, with a cleaner, more pronounced crunch.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Almonds, chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, chia, and flax are rich in magnesium and omega-3s, helping to support nervous-system and hormonal balance.—
Mélanie Defouilloy,
Vogue,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clichés.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clich%C3%A9s. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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