pigeonholing

verb

present participle of pigeonhole
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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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 pigeonholing Whether your perception of Gen Z is shaped by real-world interactions or two-dimensional headlines, pigeonholing a whole generation is reductive. — Alex Cooper, Fortune, 16 May 2026 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 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
  1. categorizing
  2. classifying
  3. relegating
  4. separating
  5. identifying
Verb
  • Zentist helps office staff stay on top of every claim by automatically categorizing insurance denials and adjustments.
    — Nia Bowers, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Those guidelines are much more attractive to taxpayers than those categorizing their income as gambling.
    — Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 18 July 2026
Definition of categorizing
Verb
  • Edwards and Magee spent decades classifying them, and the most important distinction is between a breakaway gap and everything else.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The hard part of high-risk compliance is finding every AI system in your organization and classifying it, and that inventory does not get easier by starting it in 2027.
    — Kuan Archer, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of classifying
Verb
  • With Belton’s regression and weaknesses in pass protection relegating him to the backup right tackle, the starting right guard spot seems to be a competition between Jacob Monk (currently leading) and Burton.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • As cognitive psychologist Ronald Kellogg noted in a new essay for New York Times, students are heavily relegating cognitive tasks to AI tools, effectively losing the ability to think.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of relegating
Verb
  • Set within its own natural lagoon on the southernmost tip of the Raa Atoll, the ocean stretches out as far as the eye can see, with hardly a blip separating sea, horizon, and sky.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
  • A couple years before that, the state began disaggregating data on Asian and Pacific Islanders, by separating Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander groups.
    — Sharon Udasin, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of separating
Verb
  • Heritage Auctions said experts compared distinctive characteristics on the ball, including visible marks and other identifying details, with photographs from the England match and images of other Adidas Azteca balls used during the 1986 World Cup.
    — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The prime minister of the Nordic country posted a screen shot of the plastic surgeon’s offer on Instagram but without identifying him.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of identifying

Browse Nearby Words

pigeonholes
pigeonholing
pigeons
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Cite this Entry

“Pigeonholing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonholing. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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