as in cliche
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
a screenplay that reads like a catalog of mystery-thriller tropes the narrative trope of two rival characters falling in love by the end of the story
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trope
Erin and Sara Foster are making a smooth debut in beauty messaging—putting aside traditional tropes in ads that are congested with unattainable narratives.
—
Charlie Carballo, Footwear News, 24 Apr. 2025
Ahead of the release of her most ambitious book yet, Henry spoke to Vogue about the nature of memory and legacy, her favorite romance tropes, and how Hacks influenced her storytelling.
—Maya Layne, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2025
Chiang’s storytelling is rooted in age-old tropes and references — the Old Testament, golems, Victoriana, high school algebra.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
My distrust of Trump is anchored in his track record of personally courting white supremacists and neo-Nazis, spreading conspiracy theories featuring antisemitic tropes, and insinuating that Jewish-Americans have dual loyalty.
—Ben Krull, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trope
Charlie Carballo, Footwear News, 24 Apr. 2025
Ahead of the release of her most ambitious book yet, Henry spoke to Vogue about the nature of memory and legacy, her favorite romance tropes, and how Hacks influenced her storytelling.
—Maya Layne, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2025
Chiang’s storytelling is rooted in age-old tropes and references — the Old Testament, golems, Victoriana, high school algebra.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
My distrust of Trump is anchored in his track record of personally courting white supremacists and neo-Nazis, spreading conspiracy theories featuring antisemitic tropes, and insinuating that Jewish-Americans have dual loyalty.
—Ben Krull, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trope
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trope
Noun
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During his two-minute tribute, Dr. Robby — who’s suffering from acute existential exhaustion on top of the day’s extra-fine grind — falls back on a handful of cliches.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
11 Apr. 2025
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The song, the first disco hit and an indelible gay anthem, here feels like a pandering cliche.—
Christian Lewis,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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There’s a truism that outdoor dining was the one most visible silver lining of COVID’s disastrous impact on the city, and that seems plainly so.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2025
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This isn’t a Giants-specific truism, so the early returns can be meaningful, even in a small sample.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trope.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trope. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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