stereotypes 1 of 2

plural of stereotype
as in notions
an idea or statement about all of the members of a group or all the instances of a situation the noble savage was a stereotype that appealed to 18th-century intellectuals, who viewed European civilization as decadent and corrupt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

stereotypes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of stereotype
as in overuses
to use so much as to make less appealing Movies have stereotyped the domineering mother-in-law ad nauseam.

Synonyms & Similar 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 stereotypes
Noun
Juelich says, referring to longtime stereotypes. Jay Stahl, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025 Through intimate interviews with players, coaches, parents, journalists and opponents, director Kevin Shaw probes media bias, racial stereotypes, community pride and the ethical complexities of youth sports—showing how a moment meant to celebrate young athletes became a lasting stigma. Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025 During her June conversation withT Magazine, Copeland remarked on the prejudiced stereotypes that once kept Black dancers off of the most prestigious stages in the world. Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025 Racist depictions of young Black people help some visualize their stereotypes. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025 The music video attracted significant attention both for its humorous visuals—superimposing the artists’ faces onto babies' bodies—and for its content, which challenges stereotypes about older artists in hip-hop. Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025 In a time when Indigenous communities are fighting to preserve their culture and challenge stereotypes, Tiger shines a light on the importance of art as both a form of resistance and healing. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025 Still, the images and political messages being pushed in 2025 continue to rely on earlier stereotypes of the Western cowboy. Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025 Just how women are gravitating more toward luxury cars, gender stereotypes are becoming less prevalent across all categories, Lunelli said. Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
But while working mom and trad wife stereotypes reign online and in popular culture, many moms fall somewhere in between those two tropes. Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025 These words have different meanings in the context of AAVE, some say, and using them in a way that appropriates or stereotypes certain people groups strips away the importance of the original definitions. Mia Thurow, jsonline.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stereotypes
Noun
  • 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
  • Contrary to the previous notions about our youth, their inherent power and unidentified skillsets could put them in a position to change their own lives, with the proper guidance.
    Essence, Essence, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That’s important, since many people make the mistake—both in the gym and daily life—of shrugging their shoulders up to their ears, which overuses the upper traps and elevates the scapula.
    Jenny McCoy, SELF, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Many people have framed the rise of Red Shambhala as a direct response to Vril and Agartha, two concepts that have become a fixture of alt-right memes in the last year.
    Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Heading into the playoffs, the Blue Jays rely on these principles not as concepts on paper, but as daily practices that sustain performance under pressure.
    Karl Moore, Forbes.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But the patient, grinding work of peace implementation typically bores him.
    Bobby Ghosh, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
  • In the film, one glowing maggot scores an oversized moth, wraps it up, then bores through its eye before eating its living brain.
    Ann Patchett, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • So this was quite a departure from traditional conceptions of the subject.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
  • The hierarchy of money is present in both conceptions, it is not spelled out explicitly in either conception.
    Vipin Bharathan, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The group exhausts and irritates opposing pitchers.
    Andy McCullough, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Nothing, not even the slog of a miles long backcountry ski, exhausts me like chugging upward on two wheels.
    Outside Online, Outside Online, 15 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stereotypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stereotypes. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on stereotypes

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!