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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pigeonhole
Oriana Van Praag, New Yorker, 28 May 2025
Everyone pigeonholed me as an engine engineer, and there was no need for me.
—IEEE Spectrum, 5 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Verb
Theis, who has ink all over his body—the whites of his eyes are tattooed blue—is used to being pigeonholed as gangsta.
—Oriana Van Praag, New Yorker, 28 May 2025
Everyone pigeonholed me as an engine engineer, and there was no need for me.
—IEEE Spectrum, 5 May 2025
Noun
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
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pigeonhole
Verb
-
Far too hard to categorize in terms of cause and effect.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2025
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More Entertainment: Netflix Releases Mysterious Trailer For Next 'Knives Out' Film Known as a Netflix tagger, these individuals are paid to watch, analyze, and categorize content.—
Jeremy Hanna,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Hagerman blamed Le Tub’s infamous wait times on the tiny kitchen — an 8-by-8-foot cubbyhole — and on the chargrill itself, only equipped to handle 30 patties at once.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
29 May 2025
Verb
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Geomagnetic storms are classified using a G-scale, which ranks their intensity from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme).—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
12 June 2025
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One half of respondents say price increases have caused financial hardships for them or their household, with 16% classifying it as serious hardship.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
The look fits neatly into a creative studio, corporate cubicle, or minimalist home desk setup.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
11 June 2025
-
Like many of us, Ashley Huston knew she wasn’t meant for a cubicle.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
9 June 2025
Verb
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This relegated him to being an 82-game player rather than a 16-game one, which limited his value to prospective teams.—
Mat Issa,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Sourcing in this mode is even less robust; Google relegates sources to clickable carets that don’t highlight the relevant portions of its response.—
Ruben Circelli,
PC Magazine,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
Priya Swaminathan, 45, got into an argument with a Delta flight attendant June 1 when she was told to place her bag in the overhead compartment, Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport police said in a probable cause statement filed June 2.—
Kate Linderman,
Kansas City Star,
5 June 2025
-
The front panel pulls free to reveal the dust bag and the detergent compartment.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
Venice is made up of 118 islands separated by canals and connected by more than 400 bridges.—
Shayla Martin,
Architectural Digest,
16 June 2025
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The twin prime conjecture states that there are infinitely many twin primes—prime numbers that are separated by a value of two.—
Rachel Crowell,
Scientific American,
16 June 2025
Noun
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Annecy Animation Festival is filled with unmissable events, ranging from global premieres to niche boutique screenings.—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
12 June 2025
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Working primarily in oil paint and graphite pencil, Zimmermann has found her niche painting live at major IMSA and HSR events.—
Lilian Raji,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonhole. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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