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
This love triangle honestly stinks and is somewhat stale.
—
Taryn Finley, Refinery29, 17 June 2025
Mario Kart World is being positioned as the major system seller at launch, revitalizing an ultra-popular, somewhat stale series with a mixed bag of bold new ideas.
—ArsTechnica, 16 June 2025
The scandal led to a divorce, followed by Fred’s relocation to a second-rate college on the West Coast—everything had been predictable, stale like last week’s bread.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
Jeff Rueter: The opening weekend gave a mixed first impression, with some stale atmospheres and Bayern’s 10-0 pasting of poor Auckland City giving little reason for neutrals to buy into the tournament.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stale
Taryn Finley, Refinery29, 17 June 2025
Mario Kart World is being positioned as the major system seller at launch, revitalizing an ultra-popular, somewhat stale series with a mixed bag of bold new ideas.
—ArsTechnica, 16 June 2025
The scandal led to a divorce, followed by Fred’s relocation to a second-rate college on the West Coast—everything had been predictable, stale like last week’s bread.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
Jeff Rueter: The opening weekend gave a mixed first impression, with some stale atmospheres and Bayern’s 10-0 pasting of poor Auckland City giving little reason for neutrals to buy into the tournament.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stale
Adjective
-
The main reason Jacksonville is so boring, FinanceBuzz found, is that much of its population is thinly scattered across the city.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
-
GoPro has also dropped a white version and a forest green version if black is too boring for you.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
8 July 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
-
Difficulty breathing Irregular heartbeat Cardiac arrest (heart attack) Adults 19 and older should not take more than 350 mg of magnesium per day to avoid side effects and reduce the chance of toxicity.10 7.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
11 July 2025
-
The current challenge to the gondola project is 16 months old and counting.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
The toll on crew members goes far beyond simply being tired.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
6 July 2025
-
If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2025
Adjective
-
Dickinson led off the semifinal game and roped a double off his metal bat that Smith said woke him up from a long, tiring day.—
Christopher Kamrani,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
-
After a tiring day walking around the parks, the most relaxing, soothing and healing experience is to sit out on the decks of the treehouse.—
Kissa Castaneda,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
This hackneyed stance has turned his concert performances shrill and hollow.—
Armond White,
National Review,
28 May 2025
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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
-
And the family members of the missing — from the camp and elsewhere — continue to grow weary.—
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán,
NPR,
7 July 2025
-
Officials noted that the public can grow weary from too many flooding alerts or forecasts that turn out to be minor.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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Even though we've all been told gray is on its way out for quite some time, it's been a slow burn.—
Tessa Cooper,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
-
Forecasters at the National Weather Service said there was the potential for additional catastrophic flooding and heavy rainfall in the region throughout Saturday, given the storm’s slow craw across the state.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stale. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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