10 Clichés Killing Your Credibility (And How to Fix Them)

We’ve all been there. Staring at a blank screen, the deadline looming, and our brain, in a moment of desperation, serves up a familiar, comforting phrase. “At the end of the day…” it types. “It’s not rocket science.”

Clichés are the processed cheese of the writing world. They’re easy, they’re fast, and they get the job done. But they’re also flavourless, uninspired, and ultimately, bad for your reader’s health.

A cliché is a phrase or opinion that was once clever or insightful but has been so overused it has lost all its impact. Using these signals to your reader that you haven’t put in the effort to find a more original way to express yourself. It makes your writing blend into the background noise of the internet.

Ready to purge your prose? Here are ten of the worst offenders, why they weaken your writing, and what to write instead.

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1. The Cliché: “At the end of the day…”

• Why it’s weak: This is the ultimate non-statement. It’s a filler phrase used to introduce a conclusion that is often vague and unearned. What does “the end of the day” even mean? Midnight? 5 PM? After all is said and done? It’s a hedge.
• What to write instead: Be direct. If you’re making a final point, state it with confidence.
  • Instead of: “At the end of the day, what really matters is customer satisfaction.”
  • Try: “Ultimately, what matters is customer satisfaction.”
  • Even better: “Customer satisfaction is our primary metric for success.”

2. The Cliché: “Think outside the box.”

• Why it’s weak: The irony is thick here. The phrase meant to encourage originality is one of the most unoriginal, overused bits of corporate jargon in existence. It tells people to be creative without actually giving them the tools or freedom to do so.
• What to write instead: Be specific about the kind of thinking you want.
  • Instead of: “We need to think outside the box on this project.”
  • Try: “Let’s approach this from a user’s perspective. What problem are we really solving?”
  • Or: “Let’s brainstorm without any budget constraints for the first ten minutes.”

3. The Cliché: “Avoid it like the plague.”

• Why it’s weak: This hyperbolic simile has lost its punch thanks to centuries of overuse. It’s a dramatic way to say “avoid it strongly” that no longer feels dramatic.
• What to write instead: Show, don’t just tell, the level of avoidance through description or a more original comparison.
  • Instead of: “He avoids public speaking like the plague.”
  • Try: “He would rather wrestle a rabid raccoon than face a microphone.”
  • Or: “He has turned down every promotion that involved even a single presentation.”

4. The Cliché: “It was a dark and stormy night…”

• Why it’s weak: Made infamous by the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, this is the trope of all tropes for a cheesy, uninspired opening. It tells the reader nothing new and immediately signals amateurish fiction.
• What to write instead: Set the scene with specific, sensory details that evoke the mood.
  • Instead of: “It was a dark and stormy night.”
  • Try: “Rain lashed against the windowpanes, each gust of wind rattling the glass in its frame.”
  • Or: “The storm broke just as she turned the key in the lock, and a sheet of water drenched her before she could get the door open.”

5. The Cliché: “Every cloud has a silver lining.”

• Why it’s weak: While optimistic, this phrase is a platitude that dismisses genuine struggle. It’s a Hallmark card sentiment that can come across as shallow and unempathetic when applied to a serious situation.
• What to write instead: Acknowledge the difficulty and then point to the specific positive outcome or lesson learned.
  • Instead of: “I lost my job, but hey, every cloud has a silver lining.”
  • Try: “Losing my job was terrifying, but it forced me to re-evaluate my career and finally pursue my passion for graphic design.”

6. The Cliché: “He was white as a sheet.” / “She turned red as a beet.”

• Why it’s weak: These generic colour comparisons are lazy. We’ve seen them a thousand times. They don’t create a vivid image because the image is already worn out.
• What to write instead: Use a metaphor or a specific physical description to show the emotion behind the colour change.
  • Instead of: “When accused, he went white as a sheet.”
  • Try: “The colour drained from his face, leaving his skin the pale, waxy hue of a candle.”
  • Or: “A flush crept up her neck, blooming into a crimson that stained her cheeks.”

7. The Cliché: “In the nick of time.”

• Why it’s weak: This phrase is used to create manufactured suspense. It’s a shortcut that tells the reader “tension happened here!” rather than immersing them in the moment and letting them feel it.
• What to write instead: Describe the frantic, last-second action.
  • Instead of: “The hero defused the bomb in the nick of time.”
  • Try: “With one second left on the timer, he clipped the final wire. The readout blinked to 00:00 and went dark.”

8. The Cliché: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

• Why it’s weak: A profound thought boiled down into a tired inspirational poster. It’s often used to sound wise when starting a new project, but it has become background noise.
• What to write instead: Focus on the concrete, immediate action required.
  • Instead of: “Our goal is huge, but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
  • Try: “Our goal is huge, so our first step is to conduct market research by the end of the week.”

9. The Cliché: “Read between the lines.”

• Why it’s weak: This is telling, not showing. It instructs the reader (or another character) to infer a hidden meaning, rather than letting them discover it through subtle cues, dialogue, or action.
• What to write instead: Present the lines and let the reader do the work. Show the subtext.
  • Instead of: “She said she was fine, but I could tell I needed to read between the lines.”
  • Try: “‘I’m fine,’ she said, her smile fixed and brittle as she stared at a point just over my shoulder.”

10. The Cliché: “He/She had a heart of gold.”

• Why it’s weak: This is another classic case of telling a character’s trait instead of demonstrating it. What does a “heart of gold” even look like in action? We don’t know, because the writer hasn’t shown us.
• What to write instead: Show the character’s kindness through a specific, memorable action.
  • Instead of: “My grandmother had a heart of gold.”
  • Try: “Every winter, my grandmother would knit scarves for every single resident at the local nursing home, making sure to use each person’s favorite color.”

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The Final Word: Write With Your Own Voice

Killing clichés isn’t about using the fanciest words or the most complex metaphors. It’s about precision, originality, and respect for your reader.

The next time you sit down to write, treat clichés like red flags. Pause, question what you’re really trying to say, and find the words that are uniquely yours. Your prose will be fresher, your message will be clearer, and your credibility will soar. Now go on—your readers are waiting.