pigeonholing

verb

present participle of pigeonhole
as in categorizing
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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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 pigeonholing Whether your perception of Gen Z is shaped by real-world interactions or two-dimensional headlines, pigeonholing a whole generation is reductive. — Alex Cooper, Fortune, 16 May 2026 McCurdy cautions against classifying Holiday as a blues singer and pigeonholing her into an age and culture. — Daniella Walsh, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026 The broader appeal and usefulness of the Dashaway eCT are just too dramatic to dedicate more time pigeonholing himself into a restrictive niche. — New Atlas, 28 Oct. 2025 Leibovitz has always resisted pigeonholing. — Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pigeonholing
  1. categorizing
  2. classifying
  3. relegating
  4. separating
  5. identifying
Verb
  • Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday rejected the idea that election monitors being deployed to polls during the midterm elections will be armed, categorizing the notion as fearmongering and false.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Some of the recent gains came from re-categorizing conservation agreements that had already existed.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of categorizing
Verb
  • Below, members of Forbes Technology Council share strategies for classifying large volumes of unstructured data while keeping the manual workload manageable.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Zema has proposed classifying major criminal factions as terrorist organizations.
    — Katie Angell Britannica Editors Oct. 2, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of classifying
Verb
  • Of course, other keyboard types were cheaper to produce, relegating Hall-effect keyboards to an afterthought for decades.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026
  • However, relegating City to the second-tier Championship League would be a punishment that could hurt the rest of the league.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of relegating
Verb
  • After separating earlier this year, the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star filed for divorce Wednesday, citing irreconcilable differences.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In all of these cases, however, separating the steel belt plies and bead cores from the rubber treads and sidewalls is a time- and labor-intensive process.
    — Ben Coxworth October 07, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of separating
Verb
  • These Chargers have 13 games left, and identifying potential wins on the remaining schedule is a nearly impossible task.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Research has documented multiple barriers to physical activity for autistic children and young people, while also identifying knowledgeable coaches, appropriate support and inclusive programs as important facilitators of participation.
    — Irma Davarashvili, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of identifying

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Cite this Entry

“Pigeonholing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonholing. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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