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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pigeonhole
Tom Vitale, NPR, 9 Feb. 2025
Skill positions Teams never want to pigeonhole themselves in a draft.
—Paul Dehner Jr., New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Will Leitch, Vulture, 24 June 2024
And even those films starring endlessly reincarnating supernatural psycho slashers chasing nubile coeds aren’t so simple to pigeonhole politically.
—David Colman, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Verb
As a result, critics tended to pigeonhole him as a trippy hippy.
—Tom Vitale, NPR, 9 Feb. 2025
Skill positions Teams never want to pigeonhole themselves in a draft.
—Paul Dehner Jr., New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
And to his credit, Leitch escapes that pigeonhole … only to get trapped in another.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 24 June 2024
And even those films starring endlessly reincarnating supernatural psycho slashers chasing nubile coeds aren’t so simple to pigeonhole politically.
—David Colman, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pigeonhole
Verb
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Far too hard to categorize in terms of cause and effect.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2025
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More Entertainment: Netflix Releases Mysterious Trailer For Next 'Knives Out' Film Known as a Netflix tagger, these individuals are paid to watch, analyze, and categorize content.—
Jeremy Hanna,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Having moved nearly four years ago from a 15,000-square-foot warehouse in Williamsburg to a street-level cubbyhole on the side of 30 Rock, Rough Trade finally has some room to spread out in the Art Deco complex.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
11 Apr. 2025
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Image Image The center is visible from the street through a glass entrance opening to a wide corridor and wall of custom shelving with cubbyholes, pegboards and stools designed by the architect Koray Duman.—
Hilarie M. Sheets,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Some would impose net neutrality requirements or classify ISPs as utilities, the filing said.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2025
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Birders and organizations such as the American Ornithological Society have always classified them as separate species.—
Elay Shech,
The Conversation,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Its characters and their cubicles took over Grand Central Station — and the internet — for two days.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
29 May 2025
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As a condition of his probation, el-Fattah, who had a seven-year-old son, had to present himself at six o’clock every evening at his local police station, in the district of Dokki, and spend the night in a wooden cubicle in the courtyard.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
23 May 2025
Verb
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This relegated him to being an 82-game player rather than a 16-game one, which limited his value to prospective teams.—
Mat Issa,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Sourcing in this mode is even less robust; Google relegates sources to clickable carets that don’t highlight the relevant portions of its response.—
Ruben Circelli,
PC Magazine,
5 June 2025
Noun
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Priya Swaminathan, 45, got into an argument with a Delta flight attendant June 1 when she was told to place her bag in the overhead compartment, Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport police said in a probable cause statement filed June 2.—
Kate Linderman,
Kansas City Star,
5 June 2025
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The front panel pulls free to reveal the dust bag and the detergent compartment.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Airlines also often try to separate business travelers from leisure travelers, because business travelers are typically less price sensitive.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
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While they are legally separated, their divorce has stalled due to Girardi's conservatorship and legal troubles.—
Lynsey Eidell,
People.com,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Getting in front of your audience early and asking about their real pain points is one of the smartest ways to refine your niche and build a brand that truly resonates.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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Ryan Jeffers praised the veteran’s ability to successfully find a niche in a new clubhouse.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonhole. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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