1
as in stereotyped
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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stale
Plus, with how quickly things catch wind on social media, certain ones inevitably start to feel stale—simply by virtue of being seen over and over again.
—
Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 31 Dec. 2025
The sole source of light inside came from a small flashlight, which cast a dull-white glow over a bedside tray loaded with pill bottles and a floor fan that circulated the van’s hot, stale air.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Consider turning stale bread into breadcrumbs, stuffing, or croutons—but check for moldy slices first.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Dec. 2025
The offense has grown stale and ineffective.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stale
Adjective
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Later, Lenape artist Joe Baker places cutout photographs of his ancestors over the stereotyped images of Native Americans found in the wallpaper.—
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Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.—
Adjective
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Yes, the rich women went to Sedona on Sutton’s private plane, but before that there were a few scenes back in boring old Los Angeles.—
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Disease prevention should be boring, routine, expected, and easy to access.—
Adjective
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The first turned a fourth-quarter fumble into a 59-yard score when Achane burst through a tired, and seemingly defeated Buffalo defensive front and outsprinted the Bills’ entire secondary to the end zone.—
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But that feels like a tired, outdated characterisation.—
Adjective
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Brake gently as needed - Brake normally if the vehicle has anti-lock brakes and pump brakes gently if in an older vehicle.—
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Come late January or early February, Denver could be down its defensive coordinator, a whiz-kid offensive mind, and a slightly older whiz-kid defensive mind.—
Adjective
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This is actually better than some of the hackneyed rom-coms Reiner muddled through, a coming-of-age story about two kids’ pseudo-love story from grade school through middle school.—
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On the first real mission in the jungle region of Fury Green, Samus encounters a Galactic Federation technician named Myles Mackenzie who, from his reveal in the pre-release previews, became a sticking point for fans due to his hackneyed sidekick trappings.—
Adjective
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When Jensen was tiring of running her own business, her little brother did her the same favor of helping her land a job with the cannabis dispensary From The Earth at their Brookside location, where she was quickly hired and loved by her coworkers.—
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Although Richardson has only appeared in 25 of the 36 contests so far in his rookie campaign, the near first-half of his first year as a professional has been tiring for the 20-year-old who’s continued to adjust to his new life in Orlando.—
Adjective
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The waiting room is already over-flowing with bloodied, weary, apparently horrifically smelling patients.—
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The film follows a weary delivery driver with months to live who saves a brilliant but troubled teenage girl.—
Adjective
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Hoover finished 319 yards on 34-of-50 passing, but his two turnovers were critical mistakes that led to TCU’s slow start in the first half.—
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When visiting the exhibit, plan on taking your time to make the most of it, or what the American Federation of Arts calls slow looking.—
Cite this Entry
“Stale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stale. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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