as in cliche
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
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Recent Examples of trope
On Tuesday, Grok began responding to user prompts with antisemitic posts, including praising Adolf Hitler and accusing Jewish people of running Hollywood, a longstanding trope used by bigots and conspiracy theorists.
—
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 10 July 2025
The full Locarno lineup was announced Tuesday by the Swiss Festival, the biggest mid-Summer film event in Europe with traditionally a strong line in edgier auteurs increasingly accompanied by upscale genre pics, or films which employ genre tropes.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 8 July 2025
Each of the photos in the graphic contains the Star of David, gesturing towards centuries-old antisemitic tropes about hidden Jewish conspiracies of influence and power.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 7 July 2025
The platform exploded by tracking real-time reader behavior and story tropes — turning grassroots fanfiction into global publishing deals, Netflix originals and box office hits.
—Bogdan Nesvit, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for trope
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 10 July 2025
The full Locarno lineup was announced Tuesday by the Swiss Festival, the biggest mid-Summer film event in Europe with traditionally a strong line in edgier auteurs increasingly accompanied by upscale genre pics, or films which employ genre tropes.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 8 July 2025
Each of the photos in the graphic contains the Star of David, gesturing towards centuries-old antisemitic tropes about hidden Jewish conspiracies of influence and power.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 7 July 2025
The platform exploded by tracking real-time reader behavior and story tropes — turning grassroots fanfiction into global publishing deals, Netflix originals and box office hits.
—Bogdan Nesvit, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for trope
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trope
Noun
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Bana embodies Kyle’s suffocating cliches with endearing commitment, his gravelly voice, gentle countenance, and steadfast capability combining to form a recognizable portrait of pride and suffering.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
17 July 2025
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And in a twist on the typical movie cliches, guess who plays the ditzy character this time?—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
17 July 2025
Noun
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Practice creating and communicating narratives that balance today’s truisms with tomorrow’s opportunities.—
Camille Nicita,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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Comments Lovers of Little Women must always face some truisms — Beth will die; Jo will reject Laurie and choose the professor.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
11 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trope.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trope. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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