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
Billie Melissa, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
To anyone listening for shibboleths, this would have pigeonholed him as a progressive.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
Both Los Angeles and Mexico City have dining ecosystems too vast to pigeonhole; flashy glamour will always be part of them.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Verb
Nominated for eight at this year's Academy Awards, including a nod for in the Best Actor category, A Complete Unknown charts the rise of Bob Dylan in the folk music scene, and his ultimate rebellion against being pigeonholed.
—Billie Melissa, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
To anyone listening for shibboleths, this would have pigeonholed him as a progressive.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Noun
Much like Chambers is indelibly linked to funk and fusion, White tends to be pigeonhole as a fusion patriarch.
—Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
Both Los Angeles and Mexico City have dining ecosystems too vast to pigeonhole; flashy glamour will always be part of them.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pigeonhole
Verb
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There are hundreds of molecules that excite our olfactory bulbs and taste buds, and the way those molecules are gathered determines how the flavoring ingredient is categorized.—
Ali Bouzari,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
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Software Systems May Be Able To Detect Users’ Stress Levels AI in enterprise applications might soon detect and categorize stress and frustration.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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
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Even though his 1,440-square-foot cubbyhole packed with used books was closed to walk-in customers during the first few months of the lockdown, Maxwell saw a 30% to 40% boost in sales during that time because customers sharply pivoted to buying books online.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The curriculum guides middle school students and teachers through building and evaluating computer vision models that can reliably classify fossil shark teeth.—
Christine Wusylko,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2025
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Kathleen Kelley Reardon, an expert on organizational politics, classifies political environments from minimally to pathologically politicized.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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And they weren't allowed to get their office plants out of their cubicles.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
23 Mar. 2025
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The consultant, Glastonbury architectural firm SLAM, will base its designs for 450 Columbus on the average state worker spending three days a week in the office, taking into account that some spend large blocks of time in the field and that cubicles can be shared.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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There followed a surreal half-time chat between Chapman and Poyet about his dismissal, with the game relegated to a sideshow, as fellow pundit Efan Ekoku shifted awkwardly in his seat.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
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The herb once relegated to savory cooking has begun popping up in cocktails, as more bartenders enlist its unique flavor to liven up recipes.—
Kevin Gray,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The handsome piece offers an adjustable shelf plus a flip-down compartment for easy-to-access media components.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
8 Apr. 2025
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There’s no real spot for shoes, and personal items must be tucked into narrow compartments.—
Scott Campbell,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The sleeping space is separated from the living room and kitchen by an arched wall, making this a good option for couples who don’t fear an open plan.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
5 Apr. 2025
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In the video game, as with the series, a five-year gap separates the two narrative installments, with main character Ellie jumping from 14 years old to 19 and putting on a good deal of muscle and height between that time.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The best opportunities are often hidden in niche industry Slack groups or LinkedIn direct messages.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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What’s more, Moche canals functioned in tandem with floodwater diversion canals, which activated during El Niño events to create niches of agricultural productivity amid disasters.—
Ari Caramanica,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonhole. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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