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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Recent Examples of trope
Michael Owens / Getty Images Nacua issued an apology last December after performing a gesture that plays upon antisemitic tropes while appearing on an internet livestream.
—
CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
Nguyen said working with trans writers meant being able to laugh at typical tropes in storytelling and get right to work.
—Candace Hansen, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
The tropes learned from theater, TV, and film of what one does when arrested.
—Jeremy O. Harris, Vanity Fair, 1 Apr. 2026
This series touches on practically all the tropes.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trope
CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
Nguyen said working with trans writers meant being able to laugh at typical tropes in storytelling and get right to work.
—Candace Hansen, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
The tropes learned from theater, TV, and film of what one does when arrested.
—Jeremy O. Harris, Vanity Fair, 1 Apr. 2026
This series touches on practically all the tropes.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trope
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trope
Noun
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Ever since, intelligence officers have ruefully invoked that truism whenever they’re blamed for a major screwup.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
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But, travel experts say, that truism doesn't apply during this tumultuous period.—
ANDREA SACHS THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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By the time Szeemann was invited to organize two consecutive installments of the Venice Biennale (in 1999 and 2001), the criticism of curators’ assuming the role of meta-artists, in Szeemann’s case with quasi-shamanistic aspirations, had become a commonplace.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
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But little things can turn the commonplace into tragedy.—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But for UConn, the platitudes feel profoundly honest.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
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Donovan reiterated a series of platitudes that haven’t changed during his time with the Bulls.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trope.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trope. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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