as in categorized
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 pigeonholed
That’s hardly the only time Davis has been pigeonholed in her career.
—
Galina Espinoza, Flow Space, 10 Sep. 2025
After making Dances With Wolves, Greene told his agents to pursue other types of projects to ensure he wasn’t pigeonholed as a performer.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
But Gaga has also been savvy enough not to be pigeonholed as just the avant-garde lady, though, opting for high elegance depending on the event.
—EW.com, 31 Aug. 2025
While men athletes often get pigeonholed into specific marketing lanes, women athletes naturally cross boundaries.
—Lindsey Darvin, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
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
What sets Gupta apart is his refusal to be pigeonholed.
—Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Galina Espinoza, Flow Space, 10 Sep. 2025
After making Dances With Wolves, Greene told his agents to pursue other types of projects to ensure he wasn’t pigeonholed as a performer.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
But Gaga has also been savvy enough not to be pigeonholed as just the avant-garde lady, though, opting for high elegance depending on the event.
—EW.com, 31 Aug. 2025
While men athletes often get pigeonholed into specific marketing lanes, women athletes naturally cross boundaries.
—Lindsey Darvin, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
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
What sets Gupta apart is his refusal to be pigeonholed.
—Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pigeonholed
Verb
-
Another user, who said they are categorized as essential and are still going into the office, said in a post that their team had set up a food pantry in the office for colleagues who might struggle to afford essentials while not getting paid.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Gasoline is categorized by octane ratings at gas stations.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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If a storm originates in the North Atlantic, central North Pacific, or eastern North Pacific, it is classified as a hurricane.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Marijuana was banned federally in 1970 with the passage of the Controlled Substances Act, which classified marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The injury is also expected to give Kaiir Elam a start on the outside after he had been relegated to rotational duty in the past two weeks.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Oct. 2025
-
While Butler was relegated to watching the game in street clothes, the volume-shooting Hield suited up.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To complete the family meditation, Ben Stiller puts his own children, Ella (23) and Quinlin (20), on camera, as well as his wife, Christine Taylor, from whom he was separated for several years (the two reconciled during the pandemic).—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
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With the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns all struggling to start the year, the Steelers have separated themselves from the rest of the AFC North.—
Mark Kern,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The cause of the epidemic has never been identified, though scientists have since identified pathogens behind a more recent sea urchin epidemic in the region.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
17 Oct. 2025
-
In a public statement issued shortly after her arrest, the Department of Homeland Security mistakenly identified her as a Columbia student.—
Aida Alami,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonholed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonholed. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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