1
as in cliche
used or heard so often as to be dull
viewers were bored by the stale story lines of the new crop of sitcoms
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
the sequel is basically a stale remake of the first movie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 stale
Clean Slate, a mixed bag of lovable characters and stale one-liners, captures the appeal of that optimism but suffers from its naïveté in an era very different from the 1970s.
—
Judy Berman, TIME, 6 Feb. 2025
Two successive home losses have carried the stale tang of a side in need of a refresh and a veering between extremes.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 5 Feb. 2025
In part to be certain that evidence does not become stale, relatives of passengers will likely not wait for the release of the NTSB final report to consider filing lawsuits.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2025
Season three was the worst of the bunch, featuring endless wheel-spinning thanks to stale fights.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for stale 
Judy Berman, TIME, 6 Feb. 2025
Two successive home losses have carried the stale tang of a side in need of a refresh and a veering between extremes.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 5 Feb. 2025
In part to be certain that evidence does not become stale, relatives of passengers will likely not wait for the release of the NTSB final report to consider filing lawsuits.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2025
Season three was the worst of the bunch, featuring endless wheel-spinning thanks to stale fights.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for stale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stale
Adjective
-
Harris, the narrator’s husband: Paul Mescal or Nick Kroll Can Ireland's sexiest chain-wearer reinvent himself as a boring straight guy who's not entirely fulfilling his wife?—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
13 Feb. 2025
-
From awful ads to a divisive halftime show to a boring game, 10 things to forget.—
Brad Biggs,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Tragedies can be examined by those outside of its sphere of destruction, but the groundswell of feeling from Mexican viewers and critics is that there was little or no care taken to understand the cultural grief beyond stereotyped spectacle.—
Lucy Ford,
TIME,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Founded by artists who grew up in Maryvale, Salcido said the purpose of Labor is to be the bridge that shows the artistic capacity and potential of Maryvale because the neighborhood is too often stereotyped, underrepresented and ignored.—
David Ulloa Jr,
The Arizona Republic,
6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Sam Nivola as Lochlan Ratliff: The high school senior, Timothy and Victoria's youngest, is pulled between following the life path of his older sister and brother while deciding his major life decision: Whether to go to Duke or the University of North Carolina.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
-
Freezing temperatures can pose health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups such as infants and older adults.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
People get tired and begin complaining about the sketch.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
11 Feb. 2025
-
While their rap beef was a major moment for Hip-Hop and has elevated multiple personalities and podcasts, some people are tired of discussing it; Charlamagne seems to fall into that demographic.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The first few years of being a parent can be among the most tiring as moms and dads try and often fail to get infants into a regular routine of unbroken sleep at night.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
-
No matter the outcome of the AFC Championship Game between the Chiefs and Bills, the winners are anyone who was tiring of the Taylor Swift-Hailee Steinfeld (faux) drama.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Which is a nauseatingly hackneyed and clichéd — not to mention stupefyingly reductive — type of statement to make about any kind of art or entertainment, of course.—
Andrew Unterberger,
Billboard,
3 Sep. 2019
-
Good news is bad news for investors, as the hackneyed phrase goes.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
For my company, that means being both a refuge for weary DEI professionals and a launchpad for those ready to step into their next great act.—
Dria James,
refinery29.com,
12 Feb. 2025
-
One weary buyer confided in Parrish, cried on his shoulder.—
Linda Robertson,
Miami Herald,
26 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Larson continued to speak at a slower cadence but ran out of time and was not able to finish what was meant to be a five-minute speech.—
Andrew Solender,
Axios,
11 Feb. 2025
-
The best part of the sketch isn’t its sly picture of Gen X’s slow fade into conformity, but Jason Sudeikis as the groom’s father who is unironically into the performance.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
11 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near stale
Cite this Entry
“Stale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stale. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share