as in to categorize
disapproving
to unfairly think of or describe (someone or something) as belonging to only a certain category
She likes to perform different types of music because she doesn't want to be pigeonholed.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pigeonhole
Will Leitch, Vulture, 24 June 2024
And even those films starring endlessly reincarnating supernatural psycho slashers chasing nubile coeds aren’t so simple to pigeonhole politically.
—David Colman, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
Calum Marsh, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
From indie horror films to action comedies and offbeat spy spoofs, from the intensity of Tombstone to the surrealism of The Island of Dr. Moreau with co-star Marlon Brando, Kilmer defied pigeonholing.
—Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Verb
And to his credit, Leitch escapes that pigeonhole … only to get trapped in another.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 24 June 2024
And even those films starring endlessly reincarnating supernatural psycho slashers chasing nubile coeds aren’t so simple to pigeonhole politically.
—David Colman, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
Still, the Harmons expressed some frustration with being pigeonholed as a Christian movie studio.
—Calum Marsh, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
From indie horror films to action comedies and offbeat spy spoofs, from the intensity of Tombstone to the surrealism of The Island of Dr. Moreau with co-star Marlon Brando, Kilmer defied pigeonholing.
—Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pigeonhole
Verb
-
Regulators now categorize the south Biscayne Bay coast as having a one-in-four chance of flooding from a storm surge within 30 years.—
Denise Hruby
Updated July 13,
Miami Herald,
13 July 2025
-
Trump has also frequented his own resort properties, notably Mar-a-Lago and Bedminster, for personal retreats or closed-press political dinners, but these have generally not been categorized as public events.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
Noun
-
The narrow, shaded Via Santa Maria della Pietà is Neapolitan-esque in its air of ancient mystery, with big arched doorways to houses and glimpses into tiny barber shops and a cubbyhole tattoo parlor.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
-
At the top of the Guggenheim’s ramp, the upper level is dedicated to a sprawling installation of open cubic shelves that look like highly refined cubbyholes.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
Cashews are classified as tree nuts, one of the nine major food allergens.—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 2025
-
More than half of the cases — 417 — were classified as immigration violations.—
Norma Galeana,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
That means cubicles are out, and shared workspaces are in.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
-
From the creators of The Office comes a new mockumentary that trades Dunder Mifflin’s cubicles for a drab Midwestern newsroom.—
Andy Meek,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Verb
-
For example: The strike on Iran demonstrated America’s unique global military reach and its ability, together with Israel, to reshape the Middle East while relegating Russia and China — nominally Iran’s allies — to the sidelines.—
Hal Brands,
Twin Cities,
13 July 2025
-
Crypto policy is increasingly, if not at the center, no longer being relegated to the fringes of U.S. policy conversations, and stablecoins specifically are being embraced by institutions across the board.—
Sean Stein Smith,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
The main compartment opens up via a magnetic flap top, and on the bottom, there’s a discrete bottom zipper that has a mesh water bottle holder inside.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
13 July 2025
-
In Ukrainian Village, Campbell plucked the leaves and wrappers out of his bait box, and tapped the compartment a couple of times to shake off the grime.—
William Tong,
Chicago Tribune,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
The outlet has not been publicly identified by law enforcement.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
12 July 2025
-
As of Thursday, July 10, 334 earthquakes had been identified at Mount Rainier by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN), Cascades Volcano Observatory Public Information Officer Holly Weiss-Racine told USA TODAY.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Unlike Rogan, a comedian whose politics don’t neatly cohere into a particular ideology, Franklin and other young women in this niche have backgrounds in right-wing politics.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
5 July 2025
-
All these insects are essential to the environment, serving an ecological niche that has the potential to impact your day-to-day life significantly.—
Markis Hill,
Kansas City Star,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonhole. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share