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
Leibovitz has always resisted pigeonholing.
—
Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pigeonholing
Verb
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Like Perec’s, Latronico’s novel is interested in categorizing a consumerist milieu.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
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Auto-categorizing lines in Reminders lists Since iOS 17, Reminders has been able to automatically sort items in grocery lists into distinct categories, like Produce and Proteins.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
25 Sep. 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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Mahomes’ connections with Tyquan Thornton secured the victory, relegating New York to their first 0-3 season since 2021.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
22 Sep. 2025
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To make room, the 2025–26 campaign will promote two teams from the second tier while relegating just one through a new playoff system.—
Asli Pelit,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As the vehicle was carried into a wash north of West Main Street, it was overtaken by floodwaters, separating Aguilera-Padilla and Xavier, who had managed to exit the vehicle.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
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Though he was stationed at the fryer, Saft organized the stockroom on his own time, separating sauces from Happy Meal toys.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When they were found on the bathroom floor in 1989, police had reached out to the local news media to spread the word in hopes of identifying family members.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
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The key to identifying the right white shade for your space is testing.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonholing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonholing. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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