1
as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull
viewers were bored by the stale story lines of the new crop of sitcoms
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
the sequel is basically a stale remake of the first movie
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 stale
Rhodes even admitted his reign had grown stale, which felt less like a storyline beat and more like reality catching up.
—
Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Everyone on the planet may smell like stale Budweiser and crumbled Fritos while watching the Super Bowl, but Bad Bunny doesn’t care.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026
Placing lemon juice in a bowl of warm water can help neutralize stale odors.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 15 Jan. 2026
Many of those vendors have stopped shipping to its stores, which has led to empty shelves and stale inventory, the antithesis of what a luxury department store should offer and certainly not a way to inspire a shopper’s love.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stale
Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Everyone on the planet may smell like stale Budweiser and crumbled Fritos while watching the Super Bowl, but Bad Bunny doesn’t care.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026
Placing lemon juice in a bowl of warm water can help neutralize stale odors.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 15 Jan. 2026
Many of those vendors have stopped shipping to its stores, which has led to empty shelves and stale inventory, the antithesis of what a luxury department store should offer and certainly not a way to inspire a shopper’s love.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stale
Adjective
-
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
-
Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
Some skyscrapers are quite uniform and rather boring.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Writing that’s as boring as your dullest relative was likely written by a chatbot that can’t see, hear, taste, smell, touch — or feel.—
Karen Stabiner,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The script is filled with tired tropes and doesn’t set up JayDee in a way that showcases his natural presence or way with words.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
-
LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, is downplaying the bombshell report suggesting Los Angeles Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss has grown tired of his client.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Chicago police said a witness found the 46-year-old unresponsive on the floor of a home in the 10100 block of South State Street.—
Elyssa Kaufman,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Today, Harry and his older brother, Prince William, remain estranged, royal experts say.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This is actually better than some of the hackneyed rom-coms Reiner muddled through, a coming-of-age story about two kids’ pseudo-love story from grade school through middle school.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
16 Dec. 2025
-
On the first real mission in the jungle region of Fury Green, Samus encounters a Galactic Federation technician named Myles Mackenzie who, from his reveal in the pre-release previews, became a sticking point for fans due to his hackneyed sidekick trappings.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
2 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
When Jensen was tiring of running her own business, her little brother did her the same favor of helping her land a job with the cannabis dispensary From The Earth at their Brookside location, where she was quickly hired and loved by her coworkers.—
PJ Green
January 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Although Richardson has only appeared in 25 of the 36 contests so far in his rookie campaign, the near first-half of his first year as a professional has been tiring for the 20-year-old who’s continued to adjust to his new life in Orlando.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Thirty years of closure didn’t slow down progress Despite more than half a century of entertainment, the State Theatre closed in 1990 as other movie theaters started popping up and the mechanics of the building became weary.—
Angela George,
Sioux Falls Argus Leader,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Every imaginable class is on offer at the state-of-the-art fitness center and movement studios and weary muscles can be revived by hitting the Springhouse Circuit, which includes a salt room, cedar sauna, hyperbaric oxygen chamber, tepidarium, and cold plunge.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Commission, the EU’s executive arm, has decided that the pace of EV sales is far too slow and has proposed a new category of small and seriously affordable cars.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
States and cities that have loosened building constraints are already seeing slower rent growth compared to heavily regulated markets.—
J.D. Hayworth,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stale. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
