stereotypes 1 of 2

Definition of stereotypesnext
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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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
It is riddled with slurs, beginning with its title, and, much like his song about Anita Bryant, reinforces various harmful stereotypes, this time about Black people. Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026 Coe used slurs and racist stereotypes in his songs throughout his career. Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026 Despite persistent stereotypes, Japan hasn’t widely embraced the idea of robots as friends. Catherine Thorbecke, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026 Behr’s French Beige Beige homes often get a ho-hum reputation, but cloaked in Behr’s French Beige, your exterior sidesteps those stereotypes entirely, our experts say. Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 26 Apr. 2026 Despite persistent stereotypes, Japan hasn’t widely embraced the idea of robots as friends. Catherine Thorbecke, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2026 Treating rap lyrics as diary entries minimizes their artistic value while playing on negative racial stereotypes to influence jurors, experts say. Maria Sherman, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026 American history either ignores or stereotypes Indigenous peoples for the purpose of legitimating the US. Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 22 Apr. 2026 But stereotypes about tiger moms and math nerds aside, education has been central to Asia’s economic rise, making the stakes especially high. Catherine Thorbecke, Boston Herald, 18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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
Noun
  • Additionally, curiosity prompts individuals to question assumptions and challenge preconceived notions, thereby reducing the influence of bias in decision-making processes.
    Rebecca Ahmed, Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
  • As the Paramount upfront meetings commence, the company appears poised to keep them and is not at present entertaining any notions of returning to the days when CBS held court in front of advertisers at Carnegie Hall.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
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
Noun
  • With Brazzell in the mix, the Panthers can get creative with their route concepts.
    Mike Kaye April 26, Charlotte Observer, 26 Apr. 2026
  • China makes its own SpiderFab But concepts like SpiderFab could, in theory, completely change all that.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • For instance, if a textbook bores you, try watching a documentary!
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
  • The invasive beetle bores into wood and kills ash trees by eating tissues under the bark.
    Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Some say the country is a secular republic founded on 18th-century conceptions of human reason and natural law.
    Thomas Tweed, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
  • In reaction against the waste of life and ill-success of Mazzini’s program, moderate opinion tended to crystallize around federal conceptions of the solution of the Italian problem.
    Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • If the search for a large outdoor planter exhausts you—just get a terra-cotta planter.
    Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 6 Apr. 2026
  • As the oil blockade quickly exhausts Cuba’s supply of fuel, triggering a series of lengthy, island-wide blackouts, many here are exhausted and are becoming increasingly vocal about their desire for fundamental changes in Cuba.
    Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026

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“Stereotypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stereotypes. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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