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stereotypes 1 of 2

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

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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.

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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
The 2023 article was based on findings shared with CNN by international non-profit Global Witness, which investigated Facebook’s job ads and found that ads in the Netherlands and five other countries often targeted users based on historical gender stereotypes. Carlotta Dotto, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025 Rolling Stone spoke with two scholars who explain that the clips, overwhelmingly targeting Black women, play on decades-old stereotypes used to slander welfare recipients. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2025 Critics argue that politicians have a responsibility to foster inclusivity rather than perpetuate negative stereotypes, especially during a period when immigration remains a controversial national issue. Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025 Barbosa’s label La Ursa Cinematográfica is dedicated to original productions by emerging Black artists, with projects that bring contemporary approaches to Black stories to deconstruct stereotypes. Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025 These narrow, often negative or humorous stereotypes have helped to set the visual schema for rural life, governing popular representations of individuals, families, and relationships in these communities. William Jones, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025 Chappelle had previously faced backlash for making dehumanizing jokes about trans people, many of which regurgitate harmful stereotypes that frame trans women as predators, the kind of rhetoric that contributes to violence toward trans femmes of color. Quispe López, Them., 30 Oct. 2025 Through intimate interviews with players, coaches, parents, journalists and opponents, director Kevin Shaw probes media bias, racial stereotypes, community pride and the ethical complexities of youth sports—showing how a moment meant to celebrate young athletes became a lasting stigma. Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025 During her June conversation withT Magazine, Copeland remarked on the prejudiced stereotypes that once kept Black dancers off of the most prestigious stages in the world. Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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
  • In these ways, Puerto Rican Muslims remind me that notions of community, identity or justice do not stand on their own.
    Ken Chitwood, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Established in 2023, the biennial prize is given in recognition of next-gen multidisciplinary artists working at the intersection of art, media, and technology to explore notions of futurity and transformation.
    News Desk, Artforum, 4 Nov. 2025
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
  • InnoCube itself is a cooperative satellite with TU Berlin that provides an orbital testbed for emerging concepts.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
  • For example, this Melissa & Doug Vet Play Set is great for introducing kids to science concepts in a fun way.
    Anja Webb, Parents, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The emerald ash borer is an invasive beetle native to Asia that bores into wood and kills ash trees by eating tissues under the bark.
    Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 29 Oct. 2025
  • But the patient, grinding work of peace implementation typically bores him.
    Bobby Ghosh, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Farrell and Kidman are outstanding, even as Lanthimos' ritualistic plotting and direction keep them hemmed into their characters' rigid conceptions.
    Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
  • So this was quite a departure from traditional conceptions of the subject.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The group exhausts and irritates opposing pitchers.
    Andy McCullough, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Nothing, not even the slog of a miles long backcountry ski, exhausts me like chugging upward on two wheels.
    Outside Online, Outside Online, 15 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stereotypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stereotypes. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.

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