stereotypes 1 of 2

Definition of stereotypesnext
plural of stereotype
as in notions
an idea or statement about all of the members of a group or all the instances of a situation the noble savage was a stereotype that appealed to 18th-century intellectuals, who viewed European civilization as decadent and corrupt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

stereotypes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of stereotype
as in overuses
to use so much as to make less appealing Movies have stereotyped the domineering mother-in-law ad nauseam.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 stereotypes
Noun
Not stereotypes, but tropes flipped on their head, and the sense of where positions and relationships lie, and then how characters just fall beautifully into that and adjust to that, especially Tucker, is gonna be fun to explore. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 14 May 2026 The findings add to a growing body of evidence that Neanderthals — our closest extinct human relatives — were cognitively and psychologically more similar to modern humans than previously thought, rather than the simple-minded, brutish cavemen of earlier stereotypes. Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 13 May 2026 Their choreographed debate exploited and skewered stereotypes via expert timing and pointed wit, hitting home with the predominantly Asian and South Asian audience. Malina Saval, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026 Residents who spoke with The Associated Press expressed concerns about safety and public services but bristled at stereotypes about rampant crime. ABC News, 9 May 2026 From ‘Jim Crow’ to ‘authentically’ Black In my view, the willingness of courts to accept rap lyrics as evidence emerges from popular entertainment’s long-standing deployment of negative stereotypes about Black people. A.d. Carson, The Conversation, 6 May 2026 The key is engaging with people on a human level — setting aside emotion and stereotypes and focusing instead on facts, logic, and shared goals. Kevin Fixler may 3, Idaho Statesman, 3 May 2026 Philadelphia's Golden Era of Mexican Cuisine Has Arrived Forget stereotypes and competition—Philly’s Mexican food scene thrives on culinary storytelling, regional diversity, and cultural pride. Alisha Miranda, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 May 2026 More recently, complaints have been directed at the reliance on stereotypes in how women and people of color are depicted. Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
The Coalition for Faith and Media, in partnership with HarrisX, recently launched a research study that found 70% of Americans believe Hollywood stereotypes faith, while 82% say film and TV should prioritize portraying more accurate and complex portrayals of faith and religion. Antonio Ferme, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026 But while working mom and trad wife stereotypes reign online and in popular culture, many moms fall somewhere in between those two tropes. Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025 These words have different meanings in the context of AAVE, some say, and using them in a way that appropriates or stereotypes certain people groups strips away the importance of the original definitions. Mia Thurow, jsonline.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stereotypes
Noun
  • Atlanta — Going into retirement, 58-year-old David White of Atlanta, Georgia, had some preconceived notions.
    Steve Hartman, CBS News, 16 May 2026
  • With a cast drawn from comedy-scene friends such as Kate Berlant and Conner O’Malley all tuned into a very specific wavelength, the movie somehow surpasses conventional notions of camp and irony to exist in a genuinely unique space all its own.
    Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • That’s important, since many people make the mistake—both in the gym and daily life—of shrugging their shoulders up to their ears, which overuses the upper traps and elevates the scapula.
    Jenny McCoy, SELF, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • This includes physical assets - like plants, equipment, and products - to concepts like customer orders or financial transactions.
    Steve Banker, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
  • In recent years, BMW has shown a willingness to put its Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este concepts, like the Skytop roadster and Speedtop shooting brake, into production, but there appear to be no plans to do the same with the Vision BMW Alpina as of now.
    Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • For instance, if a textbook bores you, try watching a documentary!
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
  • The invasive beetle bores into wood and kills ash trees by eating tissues under the bark.
    Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Some say the country is a secular republic founded on 18th-century conceptions of human reason and natural law.
    Thomas Tweed, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
  • In reaction against the waste of life and ill-success of Mazzini’s program, moderate opinion tended to crystallize around federal conceptions of the solution of the Italian problem.
    Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • If the search for a large outdoor planter exhausts you—just get a terra-cotta planter.
    Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 6 Apr. 2026
  • As the oil blockade quickly exhausts Cuba’s supply of fuel, triggering a series of lengthy, island-wide blackouts, many here are exhausted and are becoming increasingly vocal about their desire for fundamental changes in Cuba.
    Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stereotypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stereotypes. Accessed 23 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on stereotypes

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