Definition of banalitynext
as in cliché
an idea or expression that has been used by many people another sitcom based on the banality of roommates with opposite personalities

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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 banality Here, Laura, a magazine writer in London, drifts through old friendships, failed romances, and the gothic banalities of family life. Air Mail, 20 June 2026 One effect of this austerity and repression is to focus attention on Albee’s language, with its slippery banalities and barbs. Steven Winn, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026 The scale and range of Dominique Pelicot’s partners in crime showed the terrible banality of their acts, and how easily society had allowed them. Gaby Wood, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2026 Sometimes, though, this immediacy leads to songwriting that’s literal-minded to the point of banality. Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for banality
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banality
Noun
  • The fire contained compounds from more than two dozen chemical families, including dangerous amounts of bromide, a naturally occurring element that can irritate the skin and mucus membranes.
    AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 29 June 2026
  • The bromide has been debunked, but there is power — and delight — in making coffee shop drinks at home.
    Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 25 June 2026
Noun
  • Wolff was only the eighth woman to drive a Formula 1 car (four more have done it since); the role, a now-commonplace one that includes driving the simulator during Grand Prix weekends to inform trackside strategy, was created for her.
    Danielle McNally, InStyle, 28 May 2026
  • The videos are often integrated into larger montages of drone strikes, underscoring how commonplace these drones have become for Russian forces.
    Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Noun
  • At last week’s meeting, though, Warsh spoke largely in platitudes and generalizations.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Leaders must understand grief's unique, individual nature, avoiding assumptions or platitudes.
    Mena Mirhom, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Noun
  • But most politicians are pretty easily replaced, a truism that Moreno reinforced by going public.
    Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • There’s a long-standing truism in the world of physical attacks that defenders need to succeed every time, but attackers need to succeed just once.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Though the familiar tropes of YA storytelling exist throughout, the series engages with the genre’s conventions earnestly and with sincerity, says Halsall.
    Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The tropes that conceive of Africa, a 54-nation continent, as a tragic problem to be solved.
    Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • That brings us to Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, a title gleaned from an Islamic saying about the care and love owed to mothers.
    Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The old saying about independent movies is that they are never finished.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Banality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banality. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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