as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull
people at the funeral offered the grieving family well-worn platitudes and expressions of sympathy
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Recent Examples of well-worn
The restaurant, which opened in late 2016 in the spot once home to the German restaurant Glockenspiel, earned consistent plaudits from Pioneer Press writers and beyond for its cozy and well-worn vibe, great food and even better cocktail menu.
—
Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2026
Perry’s lyrics split the difference between contemporary and well-worn depictions of romance.
—Arielle Gordon, Pitchfork, 26 Feb. 2026
On the field of his life, his shoes were well-worn.
—Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Sun-faded and well-worn, a great pair of distressed jeans can tell a story in its patches and tears.
—Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2026
Nearly a decade later, the show’s schtick has become arguably well-worn, with storylines borrowing from its past seasons nearly as much as popular '80s fare.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 3 Dec. 2025
Customers looking to personalize or rework their new or well-worn boots can pay a visit to the store’s Repair & Customisation Bar and learn about the brand’s partnership with The Boot Repair Company.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 26 Nov. 2025
The statistic is well-worn, even after an off week.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
The bat, which was well-worn, had some discoloration around the barrel.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Sep. 2025
Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2026
Perry’s lyrics split the difference between contemporary and well-worn depictions of romance.
—Arielle Gordon, Pitchfork, 26 Feb. 2026
On the field of his life, his shoes were well-worn.
—Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Sun-faded and well-worn, a great pair of distressed jeans can tell a story in its patches and tears.
—Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2026
Nearly a decade later, the show’s schtick has become arguably well-worn, with storylines borrowing from its past seasons nearly as much as popular '80s fare.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 3 Dec. 2025
Customers looking to personalize or rework their new or well-worn boots can pay a visit to the store’s Repair & Customisation Bar and learn about the brand’s partnership with The Boot Repair Company.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 26 Nov. 2025
The statistic is well-worn, even after an off week.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
The bat, which was well-worn, had some discoloration around the barrel.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for well-worn
Adjective
-
Kelly Enders-Tharp, a three-time surrogate and education and experience specialist at Growing Generations, explains that surrogates are often stereotyped, or that their backgrounds are misrepresented.—
Kris Ann Valdez,
Parents,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Later, Lenape artist Joe Baker places cutout photographs of his ancestors over the stereotyped images of Native Americans found in the wallpaper.—
Tom McDonough,
Artforum,
1 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
For homeowners tired of robotic mowers that demand nearly as much effort as traditional ones, the K1 is a genuine upgrade.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Susan Collins is an anemic and tired candidate.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
While not exactly a feminist screed, the script grants nary a free pass to the glut of hackneyed gender conventions in the golden-age canon without at least cracking a joke.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The plot never gets more complex than that at any point, but the game's use of these hackneyed story elements and themes is agile and smart.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
It's become almost commonplace in schools and at shopping malls.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The incident brought America's commonplace gun violence just feet away from a room full of lawmakers, top officials, and journalists.—
Ryan Lucas,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The obligatory sanatoria are visited, the obligatory spa towns are frequented, the obligatory Freudian analyst is consulted.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Because Anna and Matteo were never actually together, her clear attraction with Michael doesn’t face any meaningful obstacles, aside from some obligatory (and weakly justified) initial sniping between the two leads.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Well-worn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/well-worn. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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