as in imitative
using or marked by the use of something else as a basis or model
she thought the plots of most action movies were pretty formulaic
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Recent Examples of formulaic
While these celebrity docs are hagiographic and formulaic, the interviews with Nadal and family and rivals like Federer and Novak Djokovic do push beyond the surface.
—
Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
For years, tech experts like Hinton predicted displacement by AI partly because some radiologists’ tasks are seemingly formulaic and repetitive, such as reading scans and writing reports.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 4 May 2026
The other side sees it as an existential threat that could eliminate countless jobs, suck the heart and soul out of film production, and generate dull, formulaic content that will continue to drive audiences away from theaters.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2026
But attracting hummingbirds is probably more formulaic than that, and likely has everything to do with hummingbird nectar, rather than the divine.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formulaic
Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
For years, tech experts like Hinton predicted displacement by AI partly because some radiologists’ tasks are seemingly formulaic and repetitive, such as reading scans and writing reports.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 4 May 2026
The other side sees it as an existential threat that could eliminate countless jobs, suck the heart and soul out of film production, and generate dull, formulaic content that will continue to drive audiences away from theaters.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2026
But attracting hummingbirds is probably more formulaic than that, and likely has everything to do with hummingbird nectar, rather than the divine.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formulaic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formulaic
Adjective
-
Since then, whenever new tools to crank out communications have become available, somebody has flooded the zone with the fastest, most imitative material that could garner attention.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
8 Nov. 2025
-
It may be borrowed or coined, named after a person, inspired by a place or imitative of a sound.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Other artists copied his style, which at first the artist considered flattering but later saw it as unoriginal as his popularity grew.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Apr. 2026
-
This makes your home feel intentional and personal instead of sterile and unoriginal.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Formulaic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formulaic. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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