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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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
-
Kelly Enders-Tharp, a three-time surrogate and education and experience specialist at Growing Generations, explains that surrogates are often stereotyped, or that their backgrounds are misrepresented.—
Kris Ann Valdez,
Parents,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Later, Lenape artist Joe Baker places cutout photographs of his ancestors over the stereotyped images of Native Americans found in the wallpaper.—
Tom McDonough,
Artforum,
1 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Music lovers tired of paying hundreds of dollars to see big-name acts may be getting some relief.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Wise knew that these hackneyed tools would get him nowhere.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Few parents can follow the hackneyed wisdom of living in the moment.—
Yiyun Li,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Although today’s audiences might be more desensitized to such gruesome scenes thanks to hyperrealistic special effects in modern horror movies, and the commonplace spread of graphic clips online, audiences of the ‘80s were reportedly traumatized and scandalized.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
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Standardized testing became commonplace in the latter half of the 20th century as a way to hold schools accountable for education outcomes and to create transparency for parents.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shopworn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shopworn. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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