as in cliché
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
a screenplay that reads like a catalog of mystery-thriller tropes the narrative trope of two rival characters falling in love by the end of the story
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trope
Sixth in Guillory’s The Wedding Date series, this romance is a stand alone book that’s a perfect introduction to the trope.
—
Haruka Iwasaki, Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Antisemitism is renovated with concepts such as equity, decolonization and liberation, despite promoting the same traditional antisemitic tropes.
—Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
The romance tropes are endless, and the magic is too.
—De Elizabeth, Glamour, 17 Mar. 2026
Checkers ice out the Islanders Besides book lovers discussing their book boyfriends and favorite tropes there was a hockey game Friday night.
—Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trope
Haruka Iwasaki, Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Antisemitism is renovated with concepts such as equity, decolonization and liberation, despite promoting the same traditional antisemitic tropes.
—Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
The romance tropes are endless, and the magic is too.
—De Elizabeth, Glamour, 17 Mar. 2026
Checkers ice out the Islanders Besides book lovers discussing their book boyfriends and favorite tropes there was a hockey game Friday night.
—Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trope
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trope
Noun
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That is a truism of NFL free agency.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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The play isn’t subtle; the final sequence leans hard on truisms about addiction and trauma, which are affecting but overly explicit.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Such double-headers are far from commonplace in English football, but are becoming more frequent.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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The most commonplace and the most concerning, as a consequence, come by way of phishing campaigns.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But when platitudes aren’t backed by action, the disparity between branding and behavior becomes impossible to ignore.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
17 Mar. 2026
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Eritrea had trounced Zanzibar to reach the semi-finals of the CECAFA Under-20 Championship — consisting of national teams from east and central African nations — when, amid the celebrations and platitudes from government officials back home, the players made their move.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trope.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trope. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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