as in cliches
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of tropes
This leads to her descent into a vicious vortex narrated with Greek tragedy tropes.
—
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
Even if the plot is slightly predictable, there's no denying the inherent fun in watching a Stranger Things-esque time capsule tackle the genre's most hallmarked tropes with fresh eyes and a solid cast, including Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, and Zach Villa.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Campaign one followed the exploits of Vox Machina, and followed many linear aspects of The Lord of the Rings-style fantasy tropes.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
There is a specific subcategory of magic romance books deal gently with death, that thing that is as much a part of love and life as any amount of comedy, tropes and beats.
—Audrey Goldberg Ruoff, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
What if the show is actually tweaking tropes played for more straightforward comedy in everything from Just One of the Guys to Back to School?
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2025
But The Morning Show does it so needlessly and so predictably, hitting all the standard tropes of this kind of indistinct othering and then tossing the subplot aside.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
With delicacy, Khuyagaa explores the tension between seemingly contrasting themes and questions cultural tropes of femininity, beauty, and tradition, drawing deeply from her personal experience.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025
Many nodded their heads in agreement as people discussed the sports thriller’s tropes and themes, which included sentiments from ex-athletes and people who are spiritual.
—Alexa Stone, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2025
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
Even if the plot is slightly predictable, there's no denying the inherent fun in watching a Stranger Things-esque time capsule tackle the genre's most hallmarked tropes with fresh eyes and a solid cast, including Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, and Zach Villa.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Campaign one followed the exploits of Vox Machina, and followed many linear aspects of The Lord of the Rings-style fantasy tropes.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
There is a specific subcategory of magic romance books deal gently with death, that thing that is as much a part of love and life as any amount of comedy, tropes and beats.
—Audrey Goldberg Ruoff, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
What if the show is actually tweaking tropes played for more straightforward comedy in everything from Just One of the Guys to Back to School?
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2025
But The Morning Show does it so needlessly and so predictably, hitting all the standard tropes of this kind of indistinct othering and then tossing the subplot aside.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
With delicacy, Khuyagaa explores the tension between seemingly contrasting themes and questions cultural tropes of femininity, beauty, and tradition, drawing deeply from her personal experience.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025
Many nodded their heads in agreement as people discussed the sports thriller’s tropes and themes, which included sentiments from ex-athletes and people who are spiritual.
—Alexa Stone, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tropes
cliches
Noun
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New novels are rightly praised for breaking with traditional forms and criticized for turning to stale formulas and cliches.—
Nathaniel Moore
September 10,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
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Just really not going to sit here and give some cliches.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tropes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tropes. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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