stereotypes 1 of 2

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
Recruitment materials provided by the district promoted confidence-building and leadership activities, including confronting bias and challenging stereotypes. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Les Nickelettes challenged gender stereotypes, broke taboos and claimed unprecedented freedom. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 Mitte used his Breaking Bad platform to challenge stereotypes around people with disabilities. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026 Jolly’s remarks came shortly after his campaign began airing a new ad that political experts and some within his party argue is leaning into racial stereotypes about Black men. — Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026 Based on the bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians marked a watershed moment for Asian representation in Hollywood and a promising step forward in an industry filled with one-dimensional stereotypes. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2026 The zombie is one of the most elastic and grotesque villains in the genre, shifting dramatically from early-Hollywood films built on racial stereotypes to the now-popular vision of a monster that yearns to devour those still living. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026 Our findings raise the prospect of a new form of algorithmic profiling, in which AI systems do not simply infer sensitive characteristics from appearance but also construct and propagate visual stereotypes associated with them. — Ashique Khudabukhsh, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026 Wiseman says the show has yet to specifically talk about Bram Stoker’s bloodthirsty Count Dracula, but Port says the Halloween episode will discuss the coven’s distaste for vampire stereotypes. — Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
In their scenes together, Ahmed plays straight man so Khan can go huge, all breezy confidence and street smarts combined as a defense against the countless stereotypes the bearded, accented, proudly Muslim Zulfi must face every day. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 May 2026 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
  • Mesh, lace, metallic studs, crochet and tie-dye competed for attention, while fitted party dresses and washed denim leaned heavily on familiar notions of off-duty rock-chick dressing.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Credibility is affected deeply by strategic cultural assessments about superiority and inferiority, and notions about when, where, how and for whom the credibility matters.
    — Christopher Nichols, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 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
  • The show plays with some clever concepts, particularly in its visual presentation; as the simulation scenarios pile up, so do Vision clones until a dozen exhausted, exasperated Bettanys all collapse on a hotel floor.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Founded in 2009, the retailer’s business comprises 15 stores across China, as well as lifestyle concepts including a restaurant, a tea house, and a flower shop.
    — Ashley Ogawa Clarke, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • As its name suggests, the beetle bores into trees, drilling tunnels to create breeding galleries.
    — Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The caterpillar bores into the stem through a tiny hole and tunnels inside the plant destroying tissue.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 17 June 2026
Noun
  • Many young adults who started families in the past twenty years were raised this way, which shaped their own conceptions of how to rear children.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Whether destruction or technological progress, both are purposeful activities, each with different conceptions of success or failure.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Instead of occupying both sides with large cooling vents, air enters toward the front of the station and exhausts through the rear.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
  • If the low-breadth market finally exhausts itself and rolls over, your capital at risk is mathematically capped at that 3%.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stereotypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stereotypes. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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