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
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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
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Recent Examples of stale
The new ‘Burbs, expanded to eight episodes by creator Celeste Hughey, seems at first to be a stale, simplistic fusion of its namesake and the more recent wave of racially attuned social thrillers popularized by Get Out director Jordan Peele.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Scenes meant to convey fondness and dramatic weight instead flatten into thoughtless repetition, as the series’ decades-long dissection of the final girl reveals itself as a stale brand asset.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Feb. 2026
Clearly, a majority of Americans reject the stale mindset of last century’s thinking peddled by some that oil and natural gas production and environmental stewardship are not compatible.
—Edward Cross, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
In turn, Podziemski’s game morphed from something young, fresh, and exciting into a stale loaf of bread, drawing the justifiable ire of Warriors fans everywhere.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stale
Judy Berman, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Scenes meant to convey fondness and dramatic weight instead flatten into thoughtless repetition, as the series’ decades-long dissection of the final girl reveals itself as a stale brand asset.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Feb. 2026
Clearly, a majority of Americans reject the stale mindset of last century’s thinking peddled by some that oil and natural gas production and environmental stewardship are not compatible.
—Edward Cross, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
In turn, Podziemski’s game morphed from something young, fresh, and exciting into a stale loaf of bread, drawing the justifiable ire of Warriors fans everywhere.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stale
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
-
Crank up some music and have a dance party during an otherwise boring moment.—
Margery D. Rosen,
Parents,
5 Mar. 2026
-
At this point, the UConn-dominance-is-boring crowd has had years to debate during the reigns of several incredible players.—
Chantel Jennings,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Simmons said Tarrant families are tired of O’Hare’s bullying, silencing and antics.—
Rachel Royster
March 5,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Mar. 2026
-
His poor metrics are the result of the Panthers looking tired and worn down in front of him, and Bobrovsky not being consistently at his absolute best.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
All guests, however, must be at least eight years old.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Michael Vaughan went missing from his home in Fruitland in July 2021, triggering a search for the 5-year-old that involved law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels.—
Alex Brizee
March 3,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Few parents can follow the hackneyed wisdom of living in the moment.—
Yiyun Li,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
-
But the movie drifts into hackneyed melodrama that sits awkwardly against the gritty canvas of terrorist incidents, sniper attacks, bombings and police checkpoints.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But this relief rally may be tiring for now and the optimal reward seems skewed to the downside.—
Jay Woods,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Flying can be tiring, but apparently not as tiring as seeing passengers in pajamas – at least according to one airport.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
They’re becoming energized by the change in mood among an extremely weary fan base that’s been subjected to plenty of losing.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Burger King advised local owners not to raise prices for inflation-weary consumers and suggested the investment will drive up sales.—
Vanessa Yurkevich,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Council members LaWana Slack-Mayfield, Malcolm Graham and Joi Mayo, whose west Charlotte District 3 contains most of the affected part of I-77, pressed the agency on its slow responses to their questions, asked in November, shortly after NCDOT released its maps for the first time.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Mar. 2026
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The jokes and musical bits are amusing but not groundbreaking, and the story is too light and slow to have a real impact.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stale. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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