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, 8 Feb. 2025
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
Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
Lindsay Lohan, best known for her roles in Mean Girls and 1998’s The Parent Trap, opened up about how her time growing up in Hollywood led her to feel pigeonholed into certain types of roles in lieu of more highbrow fare.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 2 Aug. 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, 8 Feb. 2025
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
We were really set on wanting this movie to have a certain amount of comedy timelessness, and so not getting pigeonholed in any one specific was really important for us.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
Lindsay Lohan, best known for her roles in Mean Girls and 1998’s The Parent Trap, opened up about how her time growing up in Hollywood led her to feel pigeonholed into certain types of roles in lieu of more highbrow fare.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pigeonhole
Verb
-
Another uses expense software that scans receipts and categorizes them automatically.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
More research is needed to understand the full scope and flexibility of dogs’ language categorization abilities, as well as a larger sample size and with dogs not categorized as GWLs.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The captain instead had to remain up on the topside in the cubbyhole of his pilot house.—
Eric DuVall,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Sep. 2025
-
There’s also a theater room with low-level, dimmable lighting; beanbags; and a cubbyhole with a cushioned area.—
Jen Malia,
Curbed,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Organizations should classify what’s safe, semi-risky and fully restricted to avoid regulatory or security disasters.—
Cory McNeley,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
But the dogs in this new study developed the ability to classify their toys by function with no formal training, merely by playing naturally with their owners.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The number of women’s toilets and cubicles still desperately needs increasing.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
-
My office is a glass cubicle with views of the entire floor.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The basket of other updates will be relegated to an omni quarterly update.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
To make room, the 2025–26 campaign will promote two teams from the second tier while relegating just one through a new playoff system.—
Asli Pelit,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The chilling compartment reportedly had bedding, as well as duffel bags and backpacks, per Fox 13 Salt Lake City.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Troopers also found bedding inside the freezing compartment.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The suspect in the shooting, identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was arrested on Friday night after his father recognized him from surveillance images and video released by investigators, authorities said.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Some of the information inadvertently made public in this way included names and email addresses, meaning the participants of the chat could be identified.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Maybach’s 4-liter twin-turbo V8 is built on AMG’s one-man/one-engine niche assembly line.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The lower forecasts stem from the philosophy that the audience for this movie is niche-focused, limited to Demon Slayer devotees, and that no audience expansion is possible.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonhole. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share