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
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
Hamill could not always avoid being pigeonholed.
—Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Mar. 2026
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2025
And to his credit, Leitch escapes that pigeonhole … only to get trapped in another.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Verb
That’s just one of those things that pigeonhole comics.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
Hamill could not always avoid being pigeonholed.
—Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
Dover is a company made up of a portfolio of different end markets and should not be held to a data center pigeonhole.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2025
And to his credit, Leitch escapes that pigeonhole … only to get trapped in another.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pigeonhole
Verb
-
The film has been categorized as semi-autobiographical in nature for The Parent Trap director.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
-
Police categorized what happened to Mack as a misdemeanor simple assault, the incident report shows.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
During the decades with Cox at the helm of the Braves, the smell of cigar smoke became familiar, wafting from the home dugout on early afternoons at old Fulton County Stadium or from a cubbyhole next to the home dugout at Turner Field.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
-
How sweet the letters from Gita had been, arriving in his grad-school cubbyhole at Brooklyn Poly!—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Those with motors of a certain size are legally classified as mopeds or motorcycles and cannot legally be ridden by anyone younger than age 16.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
Most of the people at Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Central Pennsylvania don't have a criminal record and are classified as low-security detainees, said Deluzio, who lives in Fox Chapel and represents parts of Allegheny County and all of Beaver County.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The bathroom, located at the opposite end to the porch door, features a walk-in shower cubicle, a vanity sink, storage cabinets, and a toilet.—
Stefan Ionescu
June 04,
New Atlas,
4 June 2026
-
Monger noted that traps were placed on the floors around the building and in employee cubicles, and the rodents were being caught daily.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Carolina has used a relatively strict two-man rotation at the position under head coach Dave Canales, so Etienne is going to need to carve out a role on offense in specific packages or be relegated to return duties, similar to his rookie season.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
-
Then came an unexpected January benching for Clarkson, who was relegated to the bench as Brown opted for Landry Shamet to fill in those minutes.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The backpack has a specific laptop compartment for easy commuting.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
-
Each seat came equipped with a storage compartment, charging ports, a foldout table, and a frosted privacy divider tucked into the armrest, making the setup felt like a private little suite in the sky.—
Jalyn Robinson,
Travel + Leisure,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
Such plants are predominantly located in communities of color, with an average of 77% of the residents within a mile identifying as such, according to census data.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
The suspect was identified as Olumuyiwa Akindahunsi, a 29-year-old homeless man not affiliated with the university, according to the UCLA Police Department.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
The Stomp-Clap Song and the Gingerbread Cookie Dance, both released in 2021, had already given them some inkling that videos that taught dances were a potentially popular niche.—
Veronique Greenwood,
Time,
29 May 2026
-
Some of the most influential American innovations began as side projects, accidents, or niche engineering solutions before quietly changing how people communicate, travel, work, eat, and survive.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonhole. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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