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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 pigeonhole
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026
But don’t pigeonhole them as a summer specialty.
—Scott Douglas, Outside, 3 Feb. 2026
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2025
And to his credit, Leitch escapes that pigeonhole … only to get trapped in another.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Verb
Seattle’s assimilation of so many players that had previously been underestimated or counted out or pigeonholed, though — starting with former Jets first-round quarterback Sam Darnold — into such a dominant whole is rare.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026
But don’t pigeonhole them as a summer specialty.
—Scott Douglas, Outside, 3 Feb. 2026
Noun
Dover is a company made up of a portfolio of different end markets and should not be held to a data center pigeonhole.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2025
And to his credit, Leitch escapes that pigeonhole … only to get trapped in another.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pigeonhole
Verb
-
Our methodology To determine the top rental platforms, CNBC Select categorized our picks by best for renting out your home, best for renting out your pool, best for renting out your car and best for renting out miscellaneous items.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Games that aren't supported by the Steam Deck because of performance or SteamOS compatibility issues will be automatically categorized as unsupported on the Steam Frame.—
Jon Martindale,
PC Magazine,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
How sweet the letters from Gita had been, arriving in his grad-school cubbyhole at Brooklyn Poly!—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Mar. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The case was classified as an animal bite but the animal has yet to be recovered, according to Oldoerp.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The World Health Organization now classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon, and research shows that the average person’s attention span has dropped nearly 50% in the last two decades.—
Elan Gepner-Dales,
Rolling Stone,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The space was divided into two-bed cubicles adorned with family photos.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The rise of the gig economy and remote work has finally broken the cubicle curse, giving us the freedom to answer emails from a mountain cabin or run a startup from a beachside bistro.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The fans are, understandably, venting their frustration at the prospect of Spurs being relegated for the first time since 1977.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Rolapp described a near future in which the current 38-event PGA Tour schedule will be consolidated into 21 to 26 Tier 1 tournaments and unspecified others will be relegated to Tier 2 tournament status.—
Brad Townsend,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Along with their sleek styles (no cheesy paisley patterns here), these cases are filled with extra pockets and compartments to ensure easy access to your favorite products and tools.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Some guacamole was uncovered in the cooler, employees hadn’t completed an accredited food course and water in the hand sink and three-compartment sink didn’t reach an acceptable temperature.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When numerous low-altitude targets appear, radar systems detect them amid the clutter – unwanted echoes from terrain, sea surfaces, rain or buildings – before identifying and continuously tracking them, reported SCMP.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
-
An aunt who lived across the street from the Sontags, in the Valley, had identified Susan as a suitably bright friend for him.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As the bustling capital of Japan, Tokyo is home to hundreds of museums, ranging from august institutions with endless catalogs of national treasures to niche collections of curious obsessions (Looking at you, Meguro Parasitological Museum).—
Jessica Kozuka,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Mar. 2026
-
However, for the best performance, AMD says its latest AI Max processors, including the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, are ready to address the niche, but potentially growing market.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonhole. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
