stereotypes 1 of 2

noun

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

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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.

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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
In a national experiment, Public Policy researcher Mirya Holman and colleagues found that when campaign messages triggered fears of terrorism, voters turned to their stereotypes of strong leaders as masculine. — Monique Mitchell Turner, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026 One criticism, which mirrors a plotline in the film, is that Ali G uses the character as a cover for enforcing racial stereotypes. — Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026 The term has since become a shorthand for antisemitic depictions of greed and has been condemned for elevating offensive stereotypes about Jewish people. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026 Real Social pulls inspiration from archetypes and stereotypes. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026 Recruitment materials provided by the district promoted confidence-building and leadership activities, including confronting bias and challenging stereotypes. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Les Nickelettes challenged gender stereotypes, broke taboos and claimed unprecedented freedom. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 Jolly’s remarks came shortly after his campaign began airing a new ad that political experts and some within his party argue is leaning into racial stereotypes about Black men. — Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026 Based on the bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians marked a watershed moment for Asian representation in Hollywood and a promising step forward in an industry filled with one-dimensional stereotypes. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
In their scenes together, Ahmed plays straight man so Khan can go huge, all breezy confidence and street smarts combined as a defense against the countless stereotypes the bearded, accented, proudly Muslim Zulfi must face every day. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 May 2026 The Coalition for Faith and Media, in partnership with HarrisX, recently launched a research study that found 70% of Americans believe Hollywood stereotypes faith, while 82% say film and TV should prioritize portraying more accurate and complex portrayals of faith and religion. — Antonio Ferme, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026 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
  1. notions
  2. overuses
  3. concepts
  4. bores
  5. conceptions
  6. exhausts
Noun
  • Western traditions of symmetry and notions of linear time are upended.
    — Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • That is followed by one focused on exploring conventional notions of beauty by uncovering the unexpected draw of unpleasant scents with Naïla Hamayed, Givaudan’s fragrance evaluator.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of notions
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
Definition of overuses
Noun
  • Their writing would help concepts including gains from trade and the division of labor to take root in the popular imagination.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • And the expansion of the IRL Economy, just like the AI buildout, will require substantial capital to build and modernize venues, bring successful concepts to new markets and create entirely new offerings.
    — Davis Noell, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of concepts
Verb
  • As its name suggests, the beetle bores into trees, drilling tunnels to create breeding galleries.
    — Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The caterpillar bores into the stem through a tiny hole and tunnels inside the plant destroying tissue.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 17 June 2026
Definition of bores
Noun
  • Many young adults who started families in the past twenty years were raised this way, which shaped their own conceptions of how to rear children.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Whether destruction or technological progress, both are purposeful activities, each with different conceptions of success or failure.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of conceptions
Verb
  • That pretty much exhausts the points of agreement between the pro- and anti-Proposition 40 camps.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Instead of occupying both sides with large cooling vents, air enters toward the front of the station and exhausts through the rear.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhausts

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Cite this Entry

“Stereotypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stereotypes. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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