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
There’s a reason for the myriad cliches in baseball. Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 15 Apr. 2026 Across the album, Blake uses hyper-specific details like this to make the project feel personal without being obvious or cliche. Donald Morrison, Pitchfork, 14 Apr. 2026 Matching furniture sets and too-small rugs are living room cliches to avoid. Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 13 Apr. 2026 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
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
  • UniFlex enables efficient cross-scenario task generalization and imitation learning.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 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
  • If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Music lovers tired of paying hundreds of dollars to see big-name acts may be getting some relief.
    Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 16 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
  • Although today’s audiences might be more desensitized to such gruesome scenes thanks to hyperrealistic special effects in modern horror movies, and the commonplace spread of graphic clips online, audiences of the ‘80s were reportedly traumatized and scandalized.
    Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Standardized testing became commonplace in the latter half of the 20th century as a way to hold schools accountable for education outcomes and to create transparency for parents.
    Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 12 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 19 Apr. 2026.

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