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
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
-
Witter is Desert Vintage’s longest-serving employee, save for its current owners, Roberto Cowan and Salima Boufelfel, and is in charge of categorizing and dating the rare and glorious treasures that come through the shop’s doors.—
Max Berlinger,
Vogue,
11 June 2026
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The reforms also open up the possibility of categorizing gangs and drug cartels as terrorist groups.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Verb
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After all, despite the Packers classifying the left tackle competition as open this offseason, general manager Brian Gutekunst implied another player would have to do something significant this summer to unseat Walker in the starting lineup.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
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At Thursday’s hearing, neither SpaceX nor US Space Force representatives showed up, likely because the military sidestepped the commission by classifying the Falcon 9 launches as a federal activity.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Though the team attempted to dismiss the controversy with that response, Agrest noted that the statement did not include an apology for relegating the Spanish-language broadcasters in favor of their English-speaking counterparts.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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Decades ago, two six-year-olds went missing for thirty-six hours, sparking a media frenzy that they had been briefly abducted by UFOs but eventually relegating them to a pop cultural punchline.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Dutch find separating goal to regain control With Japan in full control of momentum after the quick answer, the Netherlands parlayed a swing of possession into a winner in the 64th minute.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
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Royal Marine Commandos and officers from Britain’s National Crime Agency boarded the vessel, the Smyrtos, in the English Channel, the body of water separating Britain and France, the ministry said.—
Freddie Clayton,
NBC news,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Chicago police are asking for the public's help in identifying a suspect who stabbed another man during a fight on a CTA Blue Line train earlier this month.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
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Anderson said local law enforcement would begin the process of recovering and identifying the victims once federal investigators complete their initial review of the crash site.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonholing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonholing. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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