1
as in cliche
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 anticipation of a world grown stale, the rot of what America had left behind ever ready to encroach, was of a piece with the puritan hunger for utopia.
—
Andrew Moore, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Routine Cleaning for an Upholstered Headboard Establishing a regular cleaning routine for your upholstered headboard will keep it looking its best, and will help to prevent a stale smell from taking over the bedroom.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 May 2025
Many had grown accustomed to the solitude of death row, its stale smell and the frequent rants from inmates in mental health crisis.
—Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025
Join 1 other in the comments View Comments 2 stale baguettes, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons of paprika
Salt and pepper
Water
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Separate the garlic into cloves and dice finely.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stale
Andrew Moore, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Routine Cleaning for an Upholstered Headboard Establishing a regular cleaning routine for your upholstered headboard will keep it looking its best, and will help to prevent a stale smell from taking over the bedroom.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 May 2025
Many had grown accustomed to the solitude of death row, its stale smell and the frequent rants from inmates in mental health crisis.
—Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025
Join 1 other in the comments View Comments 2 stale baguettes, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons of paprika
Salt and pepper
Water
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Separate the garlic into cloves and dice finely.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stale
Adjective
-
Belief that your institution is exempt from the hard, functional and often boring parts of the job leads to a slow decline.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
Organizations that foster a culture of self-compassion can empower their employees to better navigate stress, maintain their well-being, and - perhaps boring but no less important - adhere to safety protocols.—
Ellen Choi,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Former New College student Katie Helms, 47, got emotional when remembering her old mentor.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
25 May 2025
-
Needless to say, building Hotel Emma out of the old Pearl Brewery was a massive undertaking, and its owner, Silver Ventures, made several sustainable choices during construction.—
Mae Hamilton,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
While infants and toddlers between the ages of 0 to 2 years are more likely to experience a stuffy nose, cough, poor appetite, fussiness, and sleep problems, children between the ages of 3 to 5 years mainly complain of sleepiness, feeling tired during daytime, low energy and dry cough.—
Anuradha Varanasi,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
Family members said Jacobs had talked about feeling tired, but not about wanting to take his own life.—
Ames Alexander,
Charlotte Observer,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Of course, all that excitement does get tiring after a while, and the dogs in side B eventually wind down for a brief nap.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
-
At-home blowouts are hard; even when armed with the right tutorials and top-of-the-line tools, all the maneuvering gets tiring quickly.—
Kylee McGuigan,
Vogue,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This hackneyed stance has turned his concert performances shrill and hollow.—
Armond White,
National Review,
28 May 2025
-
Yet these hackneyed qualities are minor aspects of a production that otherwise can be eye-opening and newly invigorating.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Santa Monica residents go to war against Waymo There’s a battle brewing in Santa Monica with a fleet of unmanned, electric Waymo vehicles on one side, and exhausted, weary locals on the other.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2025
-
Reed thin and blonde, with the slouch of a weary royal, Kjær spent Tuesday afternoon directing his troops: five amateur dancers, recruited from clubs, who will perform at an opening on Saturday in a piece modeled on the firework displays at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Despite the retirement of highly successful Atlas and Delta launch vehicles, the transition to Vulcan has been slow and continues to impact the completion of Space Force mission objectives.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 May 2025
-
Here in Croatia, the pace of life is slower, especially in smaller towns.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stale. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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