as in cliche
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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Recent Examples of trope
While some people in Hollywood are more than willing to make a Frankenstein film that explores AI themes, del Toro emphasized that his work focused on telling a story rooted in the original themes and tropes from Mary Shelley’s novel.
—
Braedon Montgomery, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
The simple and classic wreath emulates harvest season, without all of the Thanksgiving tropes like pumpkins or squash.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2025
Ferguson pulled from several famous mystery tropes to help craft her latest romance story.
—Rachel McRady, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Shrek became a cultural phenomenon thanks to its brazen skewering of fairy tale formulas and pop culture tropes.
—Skyler Trepel September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trope
Braedon Montgomery, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
The simple and classic wreath emulates harvest season, without all of the Thanksgiving tropes like pumpkins or squash.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2025
Ferguson pulled from several famous mystery tropes to help craft her latest romance story.
—Rachel McRady, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Shrek became a cultural phenomenon thanks to its brazen skewering of fairy tale formulas and pop culture tropes.
—Skyler Trepel September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trope
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trope
Noun
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Awarded a second-half penalty against Bremen, Patrik Schick and Exequiel Palacios squabbled over who should take it, in a cliche of team dysfunction.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
2 Sep. 2025
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Of course, some cliches are nothing but lazy thinking.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
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There is a truism that a good place to live is a good place to visit—and that relationship often creates a virtuous cycle of development.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
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The 2025 session put a bit of a wrinkle in that truism.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trope.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trope. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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