variants
also cliche
as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull
a cliché tale of lust and betrayal among the fabulously rich
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cliché
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
And in a twist on the typical movie cliches, guess who plays the ditzy character this time?
—Kara Nesvig, Parents, 17 July 2025
In a film landscape where reliance on tropes and cliches leads to a predictable time at the movies, Ari Aster marches to the beat of his own, often deranged, drummer.
—Scott Phillips, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
The old cliche seems true, that writing is tough, but having written is wonderful.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
The cliche is old, outdated and just a lazy argument used in conversations where not much knowledge of the WNBA is present.
—Fiifi Frimpong, Hartford Courant, 10 June 2025
The channel presents videos of Adams traveling to various country clubs and using Jewish cliches to poke fun at golf’s historic exclusion of Jews.
—Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2025
The actor does his best to exude menace, but he’s hampered by a script filled with franchise cliches like an evil admiral (Peter Weller) and Kirk playing fast and loose with the Prime Directive.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 30 June 2025
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
And in a twist on the typical movie cliches, guess who plays the ditzy character this time?
—Kara Nesvig, Parents, 17 July 2025
In a film landscape where reliance on tropes and cliches leads to a predictable time at the movies, Ari Aster marches to the beat of his own, often deranged, drummer.
—Scott Phillips, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
The old cliche seems true, that writing is tough, but having written is wonderful.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
The cliche is old, outdated and just a lazy argument used in conversations where not much knowledge of the WNBA is present.
—Fiifi Frimpong, Hartford Courant, 10 June 2025
The channel presents videos of Adams traveling to various country clubs and using Jewish cliches to poke fun at golf’s historic exclusion of Jews.
—Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2025
The actor does his best to exude menace, but he’s hampered by a script filled with franchise cliches like an evil admiral (Peter Weller) and Kirk playing fast and loose with the Prime Directive.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 30 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliché
Adjective
-
Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
-
Their negative stereotyped reputation seems to follow them like ageism follows older employees or sexism follows female employees.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This generalization should hold for interstellar interlopers as well.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
25 July 2025
-
First, generational generalizations don’t really serve anyone.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
The tired belief that Republicans are better at handling the economy simply isn’t true.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
-
If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Aug. 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
Adjective
-
Similarly, the billionaire-villain forgery subplot and the insertion of romance into team dynamics came across as forced, hackneyed and unnecessary.—
Karl Moore,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
-
This hackneyed stance has turned his concert performances shrill and hollow.—
Armond White,
National Review,
28 May 2025
Noun
-
The 2025 session put a bit of a wrinkle in that truism.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
-
Mills was reflecting on a truism of American government that is, usually, true.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
28 July 2025
Noun
-
Donkey provided comic relief, pathos and friendship to Shrek, with the film praised for its humorous twist on fairy-tale tropes.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Aug. 2025
-
To do so, the group used five prompts that reflected common antisemitic tropes and used the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as a guiding principle.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Ambitious corporate commitments are now commonplace, yet a significant gap often exists between these brand goals and the complex, on-the-ground realities of raw material production.—
SJ Studio,
Sourcing Journal,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Wearing athleisure Pack this instead: A stylish matching set Athleisure as everyday attire is commonplace in the U.S., but in Europe?—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
26 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cliché.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clich%C3%A9. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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