Find the clichés in your writing and say it plainly
This cliché finder highlights worn-out phrases in your text — at the end of the day, think outside the box, low-hanging fruit — and suggests a plainer way to say each one. It also counts how many clichés appear per 100 words and gives you a cleaned-up copy with the suggestions applied.
Clichés slip into everyone’s writing because they are ready-made: they fill a gap without making the writer think. Readers skim them for the same reason. Swapping a stock phrase for a direct word usually makes a sentence shorter, clearer and more like you. Editors, students, marketers, job seekers polishing a cover letter and managers tidying an all-staff email can all use it.
The phrase list and the matching run in your browser, so your draft never leaves your device.
How to use the Cliché Finder
- Paste or type your text into Your text. A sample paragraph is loaded so you can see how it works.
- Read the count and density at the top, then look at Highlighted text: hover over or tap a highlight to see the suggested alternative.
- Check the Clichés found table for each phrase, how often it appears and the plainer wording.
- Review Cleaned text, where replacements are marked. Untick Apply suggested replacements to see the original again.
- Press Copy cleaned text, then reread the result — a replacement may need a small grammar tweak to fit your sentence.
Cliché Finder features
A curated phrase list
Common English clichés, similes such as cool as a cucumber and office buzz phrases such as circle back and move the needle, most with a short plain-English alternative.
Tolerant matching
Capitals, curly or straight apostrophes and “win-win” versus “win win” are all recognised, and phrases are only matched as whole words, so boxer never triggers box.
Density score
Clichés per 100 words, with a label from “fresh writing” to “cliché-heavy”, so you can compare drafts.
Cleaned copy
Suggestions are applied with sensible capitalisation, and filler openers such as needless to say are removed together with their comma.
Private
No upload, no account — the analysis happens on your device.
Examples of clichés and plainer wording
| Cliché | Plainer alternative |
|---|---|
| at the end of the day | ultimately |
| think outside the box | think creatively |
| low-hanging fruit | easy wins |
| touch base | talk |
| in this day and age | today |
| a piece of cake | easy |
| needless to say | (delete it) |
How to use the results well
A cliché is a phrase that was vivid once and has been repeated until it carries little meaning. The fix is rarely another idiom; it is usually the literal thing you mean. Instead of “we need to get our ducks in a row”, say what needs organising: “we need to agree the budget and the schedule”.
Not every highlight must go. Clichés can be right in dialogue, in deliberately casual copy or for comic effect, and some stock phrases are the clearest option in a given context. Treat the list as prompts to reread a sentence, not as errors.
- Aim for fewer than one cliché per 100 words in formal writing.
- Replace, then reread: the suggested word may change the grammar (“a win-win” → “good for both sides” needs “a” removed).
- Pair this with the Filler Word Finder to cut very, really and basically, and the Passive Voice Checker to make sentences more direct.
Cliché Finder FAQ
What counts as a cliché?
A phrase used so often that it has lost its force: fixed idioms (bite the bullet), stock similes (busy as a bee), filler openers (needless to say) and business buzz phrases (circle back, deep dive).
How does the cliché finder work?
It compares your text with a built-in list of phrases, ignoring capitals, apostrophe styles and hyphens, and only matches whole words. It does not use AI, so it will not flag a cliché that is not on the list.
Why is a phrase I consider a cliché not highlighted?
The list focuses on the most common clichés rather than every idiom in English. Rare or regional expressions may not be included.
Should I remove every cliché?
No. Use the highlights to reconsider each phrase. In speech-like writing, fiction dialogue or humour, a familiar phrase can work well.
Is my text saved or uploaded?
No. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is stored.