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
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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
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
Verb
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Nearly four-fifths of respondents said that gas prices present some sort of strain, with 34% categorizing it as a major strain and 44% calling it a minor strain.
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The agency stopped categorizing the causes of death in March of last year.
Verb
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About a week before Illinois passed its law classifying prediction markets as sports betting operators, the CFTC proposed new rulemaking that lays out how the commission would manage its exclusive control over regulating these markets.
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The British meteorological service has issued a rare red warning for extreme heat in the days forward, classifying the coming wave as a risk to life.
Verb
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Perhaps its most red card-worthy offense was relegating Kuno Becker’s charismatic lead — the series’ only mainstay — to bit part, focusing instead on two new England internationals without an ounce of personality.
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The new format will be familiar to fans of other sports like soccer, where some leagues feature differentiated divisions that promote and retain the best performing teams, while relegating those who don’t perform as well to lower circuits.
Verb
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The division of labor, as Han describes it, was less about separating tasks than about bringing complementary instincts to bear on the same material.
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Repair typically requires removing the seat and separating the upholstery to access the element.
Verb
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Some collars contained license numbers, names, and other identifying information.
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The summit will focus on educating the community about regenerative agriculture and other sustainable practices and identifying barriers of entry and solutions to those barriers for farmers.
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonholing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonholing. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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