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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
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
-
McCarrell said about half of the archive’s materials were well-organized ahead of the impending closure announcement, but categorizing what remains has been largely left up to him.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
-
In these years, children are so good at categorizing, memorizing, and imagining that passionate time travel comes easily.—
Elena Megalos,
Longreads,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is the organization responsible for classifying celestial bodies.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Isaacman is referring to the American astronomer who discovered Pluto in 1930, classifying it as a planet.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In fairness to Wyle, going all in on a night-shift season would turn The Pitt into an entirely different show, and relegating it to a spinoff would probably mean getting less night shift on The Pitt proper and no one wants that.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The distance separating Torrey Pines High School and Canyon Crest Academy along the California State Route 56 corridor is roughly 2½ miles.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
-
The contact zone there spans the Danube, the river's width of around 1,640 feet -- less than three football fields -- separating Romania and its NATO defenses from the Ukrainian river ports that have for years been a focus of Russia's long-range drone and missile bombardments.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
First, fiscal responsibility means protecting taxpayer dollars by funding core priorities Idahoans rely on, such as Infrastructure, public safety and education, while identifying waste, improving efficiency, and reducing the tax burden whenever possible.—
Mark Dee
May 3,
Idaho Statesman,
3 May 2026
-
The problem is magnified when Hezbollah launches multiple drones at once, potentially overwhelming a system that’s not fully up to the task of identifying the incoming drones.—
Charbel Mallo,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonholing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonholing. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
