1
a
: a word or expression used in a figurative sense : figure of speech
b
: a common or overused theme or device : cliché
the usual horror movie tropes
2
: a phrase or verse added as an embellishment or interpolation to the sung parts of the Mass in the Middle Ages
: body characterized by (such) a state
allotrope
Examples of trope in a Sentence
Noun
a screenplay that reads like a catalog of mystery-thriller tropes
Recent Examples on the Web
Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
And while his opponents have drawn on Islamophobic tropes in the closing days of the race to shrink his wide lead in the polls, Muslim New Yorkers told USA TODAY that his candidacy signals a historic point for a community often far from the city's halls of power.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
The trope of male loneliness is a common one, whether played for comedic effect, analyzed for its debilitating impact on society, or both.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
But Interview With the Vampire set a precedent for transformative TV from the Immortal Universe, its narrative and visual audacity subverting adaptation tropes and genre storytelling by challenging viewers’ notions of immortality, sexuality, and destiny.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trope
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Noun
In the modern day, people who have wielded racist tropes against Black people, including the ape comparison, have faced swift social backlash and loss of employment.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
And while his opponents have drawn on Islamophobic tropes in the closing days of the race to shrink his wide lead in the polls, Muslim New Yorkers told USA TODAY that his candidacy signals a historic point for a community often far from the city's halls of power.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
The trope of male loneliness is a common one, whether played for comedic effect, analyzed for its debilitating impact on society, or both.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
But Interview With the Vampire set a precedent for transformative TV from the Immortal Universe, its narrative and visual audacity subverting adaptation tropes and genre storytelling by challenging viewers’ notions of immortality, sexuality, and destiny.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trope
Cite this Entry
“Trope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trope. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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