as in imitative
using or marked by the use of something else as a basis or model
she thought the plots of most action movies were pretty formulaic
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Recent Examples of formulaic
Jimmie Fowlie and Ceara O’Sullivan’s script relies on formulaic coming-of-age beats before drifting unexpectedly into absurdism in the third act.
—
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026
But the increasingly formulaic press tour can be gruelingly repetitive.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 15 Apr. 2026
The scheme is formulaic but effective.
—Ben Weiss, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
Typically in times of geopolitical turmoil, analysts look to the past for precedents and templates, but history is idiosyncratic, not formulaic.
—Paul Swartz, Harvard Business Review, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formulaic
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026
But the increasingly formulaic press tour can be gruelingly repetitive.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 15 Apr. 2026
The scheme is formulaic but effective.
—Ben Weiss, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
Typically in times of geopolitical turmoil, analysts look to the past for precedents and templates, but history is idiosyncratic, not formulaic.
—Paul Swartz, Harvard Business Review, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formulaic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formulaic
Adjective
-
Since then, whenever new tools to crank out communications have become available, somebody has flooded the zone with the fastest, most imitative material that could garner attention.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
8 Nov. 2025
-
It may be borrowed or coined, named after a person, inspired by a place or imitative of a sound.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Other artists copied his style, which at first the artist considered flattering but later saw it as unoriginal as his popularity grew.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Apr. 2026
-
This makes your home feel intentional and personal instead of sterile and unoriginal.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Formulaic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formulaic. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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