as in to categorize
disapproving
to unfairly think of or describe (someone or something) as belonging to only a certain category
She likes to perform different types of music because she doesn't want to be pigeonholed.
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Recent Examples of pigeonhole
Will Leitch, Vulture, 8 Feb. 2025
And even those films starring endlessly reincarnating supernatural psycho slashers chasing nubile coeds aren’t so simple to pigeonhole politically.
—David Colman, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
Lindsay Lohan, best known for her roles in Mean Girls and 1998’s The Parent Trap, opened up about how her time growing up in Hollywood led her to feel pigeonholed into certain types of roles in lieu of more highbrow fare.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Verb
And to his credit, Leitch escapes that pigeonhole … only to get trapped in another.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 8 Feb. 2025
And even those films starring endlessly reincarnating supernatural psycho slashers chasing nubile coeds aren’t so simple to pigeonhole politically.
—David Colman, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
We were really set on wanting this movie to have a certain amount of comedy timelessness, and so not getting pigeonholed in any one specific was really important for us.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
Lindsay Lohan, best known for her roles in Mean Girls and 1998’s The Parent Trap, opened up about how her time growing up in Hollywood led her to feel pigeonholed into certain types of roles in lieu of more highbrow fare.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pigeonhole
Verb
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Another uses expense software that scans receipts and categorizes them automatically.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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More research is needed to understand the full scope and flexibility of dogs’ language categorization abilities, as well as a larger sample size and with dogs not categorized as GWLs.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The captain instead had to remain up on the topside in the cubbyhole of his pilot house.—
Eric DuVall,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Sep. 2025
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There’s also a theater room with low-level, dimmable lighting; beanbags; and a cubbyhole with a cushioned area.—
Jen Malia,
Curbed,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Organizations should classify what’s safe, semi-risky and fully restricted to avoid regulatory or security disasters.—
Cory McNeley,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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But the dogs in this new study developed the ability to classify their toys by function with no formal training, merely by playing naturally with their owners.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The number of women’s toilets and cubicles still desperately needs increasing.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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My office is a glass cubicle with views of the entire floor.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Period ambiance is kept low-key, mostly relegated to deftly chosen golden oldies (including a closing Sinatra track) that abet Kim Hong-jip and Lee Jin-hee’s original score.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
20 Sep. 2025
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That would be the rotation as currently constructed, but would mean that Senga never gets called back up after being relegated to the minors to figure out his mechanics.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The chilling compartment reportedly had bedding, as well as duffel bags and backpacks, per Fox 13 Salt Lake City.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
19 Sep. 2025
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Troopers also found bedding inside the freezing compartment.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Henderson, a black 17-year-old student, identified as incel and expressed antisemitic, nihilistic, and occult beliefs, according to the Anti-Defamation League.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Sep. 2025
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The swift police response and use of video surveillance technology proved crucial in identifying and apprehending the shooter.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
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What was once considered a niche would become the foundation of our legacy.—
David J. Adelman,
Fortune,
20 Sep. 2025
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Global high-quality bonds might prove one attractive niche.—
Michelle Fox,
CNBC,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonhole. Accessed 25 Sep. 2025.
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