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
In another Amsterdam photo, a pair of identical world globes, recalling Ghirri’s passion for cartography and atlases, rest on matching supports to conjure that oldest of surrealist tropes, a pair of staring eyes.
—
James Quandt, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Professional arcs not entirely aside, this is a romantic comedy, full of meet-cutes and related tropes, where love rules; no one’s got it, everyone’s looking for it.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
The character is an adult who drinks, wears impeccable clothing, and beds women—the familiar Bond tropes.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 1 June 2026
The science fiction film trope of the passionate astronomer monitoring radio telescopes in search of transmissions from an extraterrestrial intelligence, then actually hearing one, seems cliché today after decades of overuse.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for trope
James Quandt, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Professional arcs not entirely aside, this is a romantic comedy, full of meet-cutes and related tropes, where love rules; no one’s got it, everyone’s looking for it.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
The character is an adult who drinks, wears impeccable clothing, and beds women—the familiar Bond tropes.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 1 June 2026
The science fiction film trope of the passionate astronomer monitoring radio telescopes in search of transmissions from an extraterrestrial intelligence, then actually hearing one, seems cliché today after decades of overuse.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for trope
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trope
Noun
-
Spain’s success over the past five years has undermined many long-standing political-economic truisms.—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
-
His deep arsenal gives him a chance to handle a truism of the craft.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Wolff was only the eighth woman to drive a Formula 1 car (four more have done it since); the role, a now-commonplace one that includes driving the simulator during Grand Prix weekends to inform trackside strategy, was created for her.—
Danielle McNally,
InStyle,
28 May 2026
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The videos are often integrated into larger montages of drone strikes, underscoring how commonplace these drones have become for Russian forces.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
The second was that, along with the platitudes about resilience, attendees were unusually honest about the Gulf’s predicament.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
4 June 2026
-
Not the word kindness, not the platitudes.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trope.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trope. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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