trope

noun

ˈtrōp How to pronounce trope (audio)
Definition of tropenext
as in cliché
an idea or expression that has been used by many people a screenplay that reads like a catalog of mystery-thriller tropes the narrative trope of two rival characters falling in love by the end of the story

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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 trope At the Americas Society, three artists address the tropes head-on. — Damaly Gonzalez, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026 This bears many of the markings of the one-last-big-score trope so common in films. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 The video has so many of Taylor’s favorite tropes—weddings that turn into a mess, metaphorically breaking glass, red wine spilling, mad women, chatty ghosts, symbolic houses. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026 Simmons-Patterson turned the trope on its head and asked it to cough. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trope
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trope
  1. truism
  2. commonplace
  3. platitude
Noun
  • With all the hype surrounding potential uses of AI tools, this is a truism that too often gets forgotten.
    — Bryan Mistele, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Wars cannot be fought on ideology alone – a truism that perhaps led to the firebrand former defense minister’s departure, after months of clashes and refusing to deal with the army top brass, as Zelensky describes it.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of truism
Noun
  • Wolff was only the eighth woman to drive a Formula 1 car (four more have done it since); the role, a now-commonplace one that includes driving the simulator during Grand Prix weekends to inform trackside strategy, was created for her.
    — Danielle McNally, InStyle, 28 May 2026
  • The videos are often integrated into larger montages of drone strikes, underscoring how commonplace these drones have become for Russian forces.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Definition of commonplace
Noun
  • Because the story lines are facile fakes, because the characters are blanked out, the substance of relationships is reduced to dialogue of generalities and platitudes.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The quarterback usually speaks in emotionless platitudes during news conferences.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of platitude

Browse Nearby Words

troops
trope
tropes
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Cite this Entry

“Trope.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trope. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on trope

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trope

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