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
McCurdy cautions against classifying Holiday as a blues singer and pigeonholing her into an age and culture.
—
Daniella Walsh, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
The researchers, led by Arne Güllich of RPTU Kaiserlautern-Landau in Germany, noted that prodigies often specialized in a single discipline, pigeonholing themselves in a particular field early in life.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
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
Daniella Walsh, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
The researchers, led by Arne Güllich of RPTU Kaiserlautern-Landau in Germany, noted that prodigies often specialized in a single discipline, pigeonholing themselves in a particular field early in life.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pigeonholing
Verb
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In these years, children are so good at categorizing, memorizing, and imagining that passionate time travel comes easily.—
Elena Megalos,
Longreads,
31 Mar. 2026
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The town clerk was commended by the Broward state attorney for excellence for updating, electronically scanning and categorizing town files after much neglect.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Whether the law survives looming legal challenges—rooted in a 1933 state Supreme Court ruling classifying income as property—remains an open question.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
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By classifying sports betting as a public health issue and imposing rigid federal standards, the proposal also significantly limits the autonomy of the states, which have been primarily responsible for the legalization and regulation of this sector since 2018.—
Cláudia Nunes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Boomer Esiason, the 1988 NFL MVP, was traded from the Cincinnati Bengals to the Jets in 1993, relegating Nagle to a reserve role.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
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The governorship was also open in 2010, and as is so often the case in this state, that marquee race seized the attention of the media and public, relegating the race for attorney general to the inside pages of newspapers and the dirt-track political circuit.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Palmer Divide is a ridge separating the South Platte River and Arkansas River basins.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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White clouds can be seen swirling on Earth's sunlit arc above the line separating night from day while the cratered expanse of the lunar disk stretches out below.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The study concluded with some recommendations, such as sustaining and expanding programs that work, engaging with with people who have experienced homelessness, identifying funding and supporting neighborhood safety and cleanliness.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
12 Apr. 2026
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The Romero Group was organized by Williams in 2017 and had a social media page identifying the company as a construction firm offering commercial and residential development and construction.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonholing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonholing. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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