as in categorizing
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 pigeonholing
The broader appeal and usefulness of the Dashaway eCT are just too dramatic to dedicate more time pigeonholing himself into a restrictive niche.
—
New Atlas, 28 Oct. 2025
Leibovitz has always resisted pigeonholing.
—Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
New Atlas, 28 Oct. 2025
Leibovitz has always resisted pigeonholing.
—Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pigeonholing
Verb
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Our mind is scanning, selecting, and categorizing stimuli.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Nov. 2025
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The committee spent four months categorizing, typing, and then proofreading 750 handwritten recipes to create the manuscript.—
Adrian Miller,
Southern Living,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Related Stories In a nutsell, the test arranged by the cutter’s union documented that AI tools are great for organizing, classifying and summarizing.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
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Cal Fire updated Saratoga’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone map in June, classifying some southwestern portions of the city as moderate or high fire hazard zones.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Comedy has been in short supply in theaters over the last few years, with studios largely relegating the genre to streamers.—
Alex Cramer,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Dec. 2025
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The new partnership makes up 108 seats in the 200-seat lower house of parliament, relegating the four center-right parties of the pro-Western government led by previous Prime Minister Petr Fiala to the opposition.—
Karel Janicek,
Fortune,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The backpack itself is crafted from a durable, water-resistant, anti-abrasion material, and includes a wet pocket for separating damp items or dirty laundry.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
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This was such a tedious process that Saint Ignatius College Prep had its own recycling club that mainly involved spending Fridays after school sitting on a classroom floor and separating the recyclables the school had generated throughout the week.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Officers were reportedly reviewing security camera footage in the area in hopes of identifying a suspect.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
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Last April, the Wyn Beauty founder shared a sweet video on her Instagram with her daughter Adira, as the little one practiced identifying colors.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonholing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonholing. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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