staleness

Definition of stalenessnext

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 staleness By clamping the bag shut, the clips help keep air and moisture out, which slows staleness and helps food stay fresh longer. Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026 That seal keeps air and moisture out, which slows staleness. Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026 And, yet, there is a tangible sense of staleness, even with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro the only remaining players from the Heat’s 2020 run to the NBA Finals and those two plus Dru Smith and Nikola Jovic the lone remaining players from the 2023 run to the NBA Finals. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026 The smart shopper will already note signs of staleness and mold in the old practice of a singer in stiff white tie and tails or gaudy gown, standing, arm propped on piano, of the second banana accompanist. Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026 Consider this a magical opportunity to escape the staleness of fall. Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 29 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staleness
Noun
  • With their high linen content, the sheets exuded no mustiness, only the faint sweet smell of aged paper.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
  • The film, which screenwriter Rowan Joffé adapted from a 2014 novel of the same name by Lawrence Osborne, seems aware of the orientalist mustiness of this premise without being compelled to subvert it in any meaningful way.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Foods or dietary supplements rich in unsaturated fats (such as fish and fish oils) are more prone to rancidity.
    Ayesha Gulzar, Verywell Health, 6 May 2026
Noun
  • But like that thong peeking out of jeans and the stench of cloves stuck in clothes, not every trend should see a revival.
    Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
  • For once, the stench at the Big A is not just coming from the bullpen.
    Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Shohei Ohtani laced a 2-2 sweeper into the right-field corner for a double, snapping an 0-for-18 funk and sending Freeland to third.
    Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 6 May 2026
  • Ever since hitting two home runs against the Royals on April 18, Cody Bellinger had been in a bit of a funk.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Noun
  • On one side, a satanic figure named Randall Flagg who gathers his forces of badness to Las Vegas; on the other, the good guys, led by 108-year-old Mother Abigail in, of all places, Boulder.
    Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
  • The show premiered over Thanksgiving weekend, when people were tired and full and bored (and probably also horny), and countered our world’s unceasing badness with its world’s buoyant sweetness.
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • This week’s special legislative session reeks of imperialism.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
  • Desperate or not, what the show does reek of is money (apparently about $25 million).
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Staleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staleness. Accessed 12 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster