pigeonhole 1 of 2

verb

Definition of pigeonholenext
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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pigeonhole

2 of 2

noun

as in cubbyhole

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Example Sentences

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 pigeonhole
Verb
It's not just pigeonholed into one spot. — Tax Notes Staff, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 While Europeans and Americans often pigeonhole Sauternes, Victor Petiot, restaurant director of Caprice at the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, believes that in China and Hong Kong diners are receptive to sweet wines with savory dishes when they are presented properly. — Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 21 June 2026
Noun
In the interim, Tudor has tried to shrug off the stereotypes and step out of the pigeonholes. — James Horncastle, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026 Chen had hit upon a tantalizing hint that the link between the equality problem and the pigeonhole principle might also go the other way. — Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pigeonhole
  1. categorize
  2. cubbyhole
  3. classify
  4. cubicle
  5. relegate
  6. compartment
  7. identify
  8. niche
Verb
  • Shigella infections categorized as extensively drug-resistant, or XDR, are rising.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The new system will organize types of data that proved difficult to categorize in the past — such as the ways firms make difficult decisions — to make the rankings more authoritative.
    — Benjamin Mullin, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of categorize
Noun
  • One day, during my visit, Cole used a step stool to access a small cubbyhole in a high corner of a bedroom wall—a sort of illogical nook that seemed preordained to house some private, upsetting object.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • During the decades with Cox at the helm of the Braves, the smell of cigar smoke became familiar, wafting from the home dugout on early afternoons at old Fulton County Stadium or from a cubbyhole next to the home dugout at Turner Field.
    — David O'Brien, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Definition of cubbyhole
Verb
  • Improvements to LinkedIn’s detection systems have resulted in a 40% decline in views of content classified as AI slop, the platform said last month.
    — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Just 9% of Porter’s 3-point attempts were classified as wide open, the lowest share among 307 players who took at least 100 3s.
    — C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of classify
Noun
  • Warm walnut, rich performance upholstery, and brushed metal details give the pieces a distinctly executive feel without making your home office feel like a corporate cubicle.
    — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The employee in the cubicle next to yours is probably a woman.
    — Joel Mathis, TheWeek, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of cubicle
Verb
  • The limited prep area has forced me to be incredibly picky about which tools and appliances to display and which to relegate to cabinets.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Artisanal weapons and revolvers have been increasingly relegated to rural areas, smaller criminal groups and individuals, while over the past two years gangs have been procuring larger numbers of more lethal weaponry.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of relegate
Noun
  • Sanitizer concentration at the three-compartment sink is at or over 200 ppm.
    — NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The parks officers used fire extinguishers to try to put out the growing blaze, but the flames spread from the front of the vehicle toward the passenger compartment, the CHP said.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of compartment
Verb
  • By the August meeting, shortcomings in the rollout were identified.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Detectives identified a person of interest and obtained a search warrant for a residence.
    — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of identify
Noun
  • Big institutions like the Louvre and the Élysée Palace are better avoided; instead, visit some of the city's niche sights and smaller museums.
    — Alessia Armenise, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Unlike its mass-market vehicles, the niche sports car won’t sell in large volumes.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of niche

Browse Nearby Words

pigeon
pigeonhole
pigeonholed
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Cite this Entry

“Pigeonhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonhole. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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