CLICHES Synonyms: 24 Similar and Opposite Words

clichés

noun

variants also cliches

plural of cliché

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

profundities

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 clichés Where so many historical novels lean on cliches, Perry avoids them and finds a deeper emotional truth. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 2026 That kind of detail says so much more than cliches about angels or clouds. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026 The Professional is a sly inversion of — and indulgent celebration of — action cliches, made at a time when action movies were ubiquitous but often redundant, featuring a succession of distinctly European stars like Schwarzenegger and Van Damme. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026 The ballet became a hilarious parody of Wagnerian cliches as a cartwheeling child wearing sneakers with rainbow lights and dressed in gold, resembling statues of the composer, presided in front of a faux Bayreuth proscenium. — ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026 Desirée can so often come off a bundle of cliches of actresses of a certain age, all narcissism, hedonism and irresponsibility. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026 Brousson is an Austin resident and often posts satirical videos teasing Texas cliches and generalizations. — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 June 2026 In this section, artists Wendy Red Star, Omar Victor Diop, Yuki Kihara, Frida Orupabo, and Dimakatso Mathopa mine the tropes and cliches borne of these images, and through satire and recontextualization, offer works that center their own empowerment and subjectivity. — The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026 But for Maria Poveromo, a soon-to-be Woodbridge High School graduate, some academic cliches still ring true. — Victoria Le, Oc Register, 29 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clichés

Noun

Relying on the tropes rather than having fun with them, thwarting them.

— Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
There are many factors that contribute to violence against women in Mexico, experts say, including gender inequality, pervasive sexist tropes and a high rate of impunity for killing women.

— Michael Rios, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of tropes

Noun

What’s bothered me, though, is how its backers have anchored their messaging around a lot of misleading generalizations about the state of college sports.

— Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
At last week’s meeting, though, Warsh spoke largely in platitudes and generalizations.

— John Cassidy, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of generalizations

Noun

Running parallel to this butchery investigation is the arrival of perpetually hungover FBI agent Gwen Birgssen, played by British actress Lily James with an incomprehensible southern drawl and some clunky platitudes that veer into genre parody.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
In between some of the manager’s more clip-worthy quotes, there were more of his usual — and not incorrect — platitudes.

— Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of platitudes

Noun

Spain’s success over the past five years has undermined many long-standing political-economic truisms.

— Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
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

Definition of truisms

Noun

Then morning would come, with all the banalities that drew them apart.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
And even though access to such banalities may sound brain-deadening, and at best dull, some of the most famous people in the world are now live-streamers.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of banalities

Noun

Whomever the Black citizens of Los Angeles are voting for, their respectful depiction is a rare departure from the usual screen stereotypes of the 1930s.

— Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
Instrumentalist winner Mandy Far, who used to perform with Allison Russell and now is playing with the band Sway Wild, talked about facing gender stereotypes.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of stereotypes

Noun

The president used similar bromides in private calls to assuage allies, including Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson, before launching the war in February, according to people familiar with the conversations.

— Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026
While these songs might appear to be somewhat straightforward EBM that wear their politics on their latex sleeve, there’s a level of ambiguity at work that moves Kissing Luck Goodbye past its own bromides and into deeper artistic territory.

— Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 16 Apr. 2026

Definition of bromides

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clichéd

clichés

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“Clichés.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clich%C3%A9s. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of clichés

noun

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