as in cliche
used or heard so often as to be dull
it's hackneyed, but true—the more you save the more you earn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in stereotyped
to use so much as to make less appealing
advertisers have hackneyed the word "revolutionary" so much that it now just means that a product is new
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hackneyed
Armond White, National Review, 28 May 2025
Yet these hackneyed qualities are minor aspects of a production that otherwise can be eye-opening and newly invigorating.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2025
Its baleful guitar and hackneyed vocals make the average doubts shared by everyone who has ever been in love seem generic.
—Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
Which is a nauseatingly hackneyed and clichéd — not to mention stupefyingly reductive — type of statement to make about any kind of art or entertainment, of course.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for hackneyed
Adjective
This hackneyed stance has turned his concert performances shrill and hollow.
—Armond White, National Review, 28 May 2025
Yet these hackneyed qualities are minor aspects of a production that otherwise can be eye-opening and newly invigorating.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2025
Its baleful guitar and hackneyed vocals make the average doubts shared by everyone who has ever been in love seem generic.
—Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
Which is a nauseatingly hackneyed and clichéd — not to mention stupefyingly reductive — type of statement to make about any kind of art or entertainment, of course.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for hackneyed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hackneyed
Verb
-
Among many challenges, the next president of the church will navigate how to lead a global church from its American headquarters – a church that continues to be misunderstood and stereotyped, sometimes to the point of violence.—
Brittany Romanello,
The Conversation,
10 Oct. 2025
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Mormons have also sometimes been falsely stereotyped as being polygamists because some of their early founders and members were, but the group banned polygamy in 1890.—
Niraj Warikoo,
Freep.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Bradley said that, from the Chamber’s perspective, employers are sick and tired of scrounging for talent.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The day before, during Erik’s hearing, the relatives had emotionally exhausted themselves, the cousins said.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
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He is weakened, and yet his opponents underestimate his continuing appeal with voters exhausted by decades of political dysfunction.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
When pelvic floor muscles are being overused, used improperly, or are weak, your running gait may be less efficient and powerful, Rogers says.—
Jordan Smith,
Outside,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Annabelle has been in so many movies now, to the point of being overused (the real doll has even been suspected of paranormal activity recently).—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But that doesn’t mean everyone will just be bored at home with nothing to do because their AI assistants can cook, clean and even commute on their behalf.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
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The tunnel will be bored into rock 60 to 250 feet under the lakebed, using a tunnel boring machine that would progress 40 feet per day on average during construction.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In the end, the Guardians’ leverage arms were overexposed, and their bats ran out of magic.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Without shelter or sufficient support, this group is consistently overexposed to summer temperatures.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hackneyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hackneyed. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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