as in clichés
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 tropes
The users are not only escaping the real world for a moment, but are escaping their own identities in a way that fiction can provide, giving familiar tropes that will always conclude with a happy ending in place of the uncertainties (and often cruel certainties) of the real world.
—
Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Mar. 2026
The solid dramatic framework that Gyllenhaal establishes drives events onward with relentless force, and her film is devilishly clever in its fusion of gothic horror and film-noir tropes.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
Her hope is to expand Latino storytelling beyond the tropes.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Instead, skaiwater leans into rote rage rap tropes, verging on Carti parody.
—Mano Sundaresan, Pitchfork, 3 Mar. 2026
There are some rom-com tropes that do fit with this relationship, and then a lot that don’t, and Colin, over the course of the movie, comes to learn about those that don’t necessarily fit.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Unexpected detours on archival tropes extend to outerwear, done for example in meaty leather with a tough look, but bonded with cashmere, lined in stripey fabrics in the vein of the most traditional Boss overcoats and complemented with horn buttons or stripey linings.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 25 Feb. 2026
And so for all their acclaim and popularity, the pieces have been slammed by these critics for playing to ugly tropes.
—David Colman, HollywoodReporter, 23 Feb. 2026
Microdramas are similar to soap operas, focusing on common tropes and over-the-top theatrics.
—Devika Rao, TheWeek, 18 Feb. 2026
Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Mar. 2026
The solid dramatic framework that Gyllenhaal establishes drives events onward with relentless force, and her film is devilishly clever in its fusion of gothic horror and film-noir tropes.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
Her hope is to expand Latino storytelling beyond the tropes.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Instead, skaiwater leans into rote rage rap tropes, verging on Carti parody.
—Mano Sundaresan, Pitchfork, 3 Mar. 2026
There are some rom-com tropes that do fit with this relationship, and then a lot that don’t, and Colin, over the course of the movie, comes to learn about those that don’t necessarily fit.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Unexpected detours on archival tropes extend to outerwear, done for example in meaty leather with a tough look, but bonded with cashmere, lined in stripey fabrics in the vein of the most traditional Boss overcoats and complemented with horn buttons or stripey linings.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 25 Feb. 2026
And so for all their acclaim and popularity, the pieces have been slammed by these critics for playing to ugly tropes.
—David Colman, HollywoodReporter, 23 Feb. 2026
Microdramas are similar to soap operas, focusing on common tropes and over-the-top theatrics.
—Devika Rao, TheWeek, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tropes
Noun
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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
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One of the truisms in the past for Team Canada at some best-on-best events is needing a few games to find its game.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the early years of Islam, when states hardly existed as such in the Arab world, Sharia helped communities to manage their own affairs, based on a set of guidelines drawn from the Quran and on the sayings of the Prophet.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
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That these sayings are meant to reflect something both deep and asinine about the film itself is self-evident.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Li shook hands with Whitmarsh and exchanged platitudes with the other guests.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
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The stump speech that voters — or would-be voters — get about this time of year entails platitudes about exercising rights, not sitting on the sidelines, using your voice and so on.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tropes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tropes. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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