as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull
the shopworn suggestion to job applicants to "just be yourself"
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shopworn
The Broncos look slow, sloppy, shopworn and stale.
—
Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025
Carson said — 50 times Carson’s office, on a quiet street in downtown Modesto, was gritty and shopworn and functional in feel.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2021
If your listing has become shopworn, look at reducing the price or offering incentives.
—John Nugent, Houston Chronicle, 4 July 2020
So much of his work seems dull, shopworn, generic.
—James Marcus, The New Yorker, 1 June 2020
See All Example Sentences for shopworn
Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025
Carson said — 50 times Carson’s office, on a quiet street in downtown Modesto, was gritty and shopworn and functional in feel.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2021
If your listing has become shopworn, look at reducing the price or offering incentives.
—John Nugent, Houston Chronicle, 4 July 2020
So much of his work seems dull, shopworn, generic.
—James Marcus, The New Yorker, 1 June 2020
See All Example Sentences for shopworn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shopworn
Adjective
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Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
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At the time, Latinos were often cast in stereotyped roles with heavy accents and largely denied the opportunity to direct features.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The first turned a fourth-quarter fumble into a 59-yard score when Achane burst through a tired, and seemingly defeated Buffalo defensive front and outsprinted the Bills’ entire secondary to the end zone.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Nov. 2025
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But that feels like a tired, outdated characterisation.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Unfortunately though, Cooper can’t escape certain hackneyed biopic tropes in representing the songwriting, which are almost impossible to avoid.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
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Unfortunately though, Cooper can’t escape certain hackneyed biopic tropes in representing the songwriting, which are almost impossible to avoid.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Exorbitant displays of wealth like those on Cribs are now commonplace.—
Kim Hew-Low,
The Atlantic,
10 Nov. 2025
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In the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, home computers became commonplace, and the ways in which early users of the World Wide Web were substantially different from those of today.—
William Jones,
IndyStar,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shopworn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shopworn. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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