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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pigeonhole
Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 24 Feb. 2026
At 46, Kate Hudson has secured a Best Actress Oscar nomination for Song Sung Blue, marking a dramatic career shift 25 years after her first nomination and years of being pigeonholed as Hollywood’s rom-com leading lady.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 24 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
In its opening moments, Blasé Saint seems easy to pigeonhole.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 24 Feb. 2026
At 46, Kate Hudson has secured a Best Actress Oscar nomination for Song Sung Blue, marking a dramatic career shift 25 years after her first nomination and years of being pigeonholed as Hollywood’s rom-com leading lady.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 24 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
-
It should have been categorized as a suspicious death and treated as such.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2026
-
Governments still may fly flags that are not categorized as religious, political or ideological.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
7 May 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
-
Such systems as the Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 series, classified as one-way attack (OWA) UAVs, have been exported extensively to proxy groups and state allies.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
-
Rising costs already limit access to higher education for many, and recent federal policies incorrectly classifying nursing as a nonprofessional degree will only further restrict access to financing for nursing school applicants.—
Nicholas A. Giordano,
STAT,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Office renovations and conversions in Charlotte Post-COVID, office towers have to either entice people to come back to the cubicle or change uses.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2026
-
With the Doodler, the company sought to create something to liven up the average weekday inside the office cubicle.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wolves are already relegated, so have nothing to play for and Newcastle have also been poor this season.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
Thor is now a circus clown — not even a funny one at that — relegated to being the butt of Star-Lord's unfunny jokes and the least-serious Avenger.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The hot water at the three compartment sink was measured below proper hot water temperatures.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
May 8,
Sacbee.com,
8 May 2026
-
Cascading system failures would lead to a race against time to seal compartments and preserve breathable air, though decompression would often happen too quickly for the crew to react.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Under certain circumstances, which were not identified, the system will initiate a reset in an attempt to improve performance.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
9 May 2026
-
The Board of Education said in a letter to families that members will identify an interim superintendent who can lead the district after Dorland leaves.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Now, only Neiman Marcus and a few other niche stores remain.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
The sense of a cultural in- and out-group dissolved as niche communities grew and old-school ideas of coolness fell away.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonhole. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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