run-of-the-mill

adjective

ˌrən-ə(v)-t͟hə-ˈmil How to pronounce run-of-the-mill (audio)
Definition of run-of-the-millnext
1
as in normal
being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events just another run-of-the-mill suburb with its shopping malls and fast-food restaurants

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ordinary
of average to below average quality his latest offering is rather run-of-the-mill for this usually excellent novelist

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 run-of-the-mill At least 76 heritage sites and 20 museums have been ransacked by the RSF and run-of-the-mill thieves, officials say, carting off an archaeological haul worth more than $150 million. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026 Newcastle United do not do run-of-the-mill summer windows anymore. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Powerless even against the most run-of-the-mill villains, the men casually harassing her at the diner. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026 Life had changed drastically for all of them, naturally — there were now dealing with mortgages, children, marital strife, health issues, and your run-of-the-mill middle-age malaise. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for run-of-the-mill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for run-of-the-mill
  1. normal
  2. ordinary
  3. usual
  4. decent
  5. typical
  6. mediocre
  7. average
  8. satisfactory
Adjective
  • It's shot up from less than $97 at the start of the month on uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow the global energy industry to return to normal.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Menopause is the normal part of a woman’s aging process that marks the end of her reproductive years.
    — Lyndon Haviland, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of normal
Adjective
  • When a family is one ordinary bill from the edge, its backup plan is sleeping in the car.
    — Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The Ohio State University In ordinary air, oxygen molecules settle onto the sensor surfaces and draw electrons away from the material, increasing its electrical resistance.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of ordinary
Adjective
  • So on Wednesday, after a full day of quiet, more people than usual were out on the streets in Kherson, enjoying the short glimpse of peaceful life, though many said the calm still felt unsettling.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026
  • For example, because of their own home-buying timeline, a seller may need to close very quickly or may need more time than usual.
    — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of usual
Adjective
  • The activists who once demanded radical change begin worrying about their children’s safety, their schools, and whether the neighborhood is a decent place to grow up.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Each tier receives different benefits, but even the lowester level (Green) still gets a decent amount of perks.
    — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of decent
Adjective
  • The museum isn’t located in downtown Houston or anywhere near the stadiums, the museum district, or typical attractions people visit in the city.
    — Jill Robbins, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The gravity on the surface can be several billion times Earth’s, and a typical neutron star’s magnetic field is billions of times stronger than Earth’s as well.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of typical
Adjective
  • Roan also adds an new verse to the song, slightly changing the lyrics to reference a mediocre female suitor alongside Rodrigo’s original lines.
    — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Neither release became a theatrical phenomenon, but each earned more than $40 million worldwide — suggesting even mediocre horror films can get respectable returns when their premises are appealing enough.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of mediocre
Adjective
  • In 2025, the average accident-only pet insurance premium was $112 for cats and $190 for dogs, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA).
    — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • West Aurora also saw improvement in its average math scores on the ACT, but saw a slight decline in ELA.
    — Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of average
Adjective
  • Why not, then, return to 2016 spending amounts which seemed satisfactory at the time?
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Harriot quickly found a convenient formula for how many were arranged in a square pyramid based on the number in the bottom row and was able to present Raleigh with a satisfactory solution.
    — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of satisfactory

Browse Nearby Words

run off with
run-of-the-mill
run-of-the-mine
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Run-of-the-mill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/run-of-the-mill. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulsome

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All