as in cliche
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
So much of his work seems dull, shopworn, generic.
—
James Marcus, The New Yorker, 1 June 2020
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
See All Example Sentences for shopworn
James Marcus, The New Yorker, 1 June 2020
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
See All Example Sentences for shopworn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shopworn
Adjective
-
Their negative stereotyped reputation seems to follow them like ageism follows older employees or sexism follows female employees.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
-
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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But people here are tired of seeing Farmington in the headlines as a town that's losing population.—
Kirk Siegler,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2025
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And there’s kids who are tired, or crying or can’t handle it.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Its baleful guitar and hackneyed vocals make the average doubts shared by everyone who has ever been in love seem generic.—
Will Dukes,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2025
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The movie’s a little more hackneyed and obvious now, but its central idea is still an undeniably creepy one: possessed children with pitchforks.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shopworn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shopworn. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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