having the same configuration or look as many others of a given kind; identical.
rows of cookie-cutter houses.
lacking individuality; stereotyped or formulaic.
a novel filled with cookie-cutter characters.
An Americanism dating back to 1900–05
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Q: We are all inundated with the cookie cutter “60/40” allocation formula… I believe a better model includes two variables which are unique to each investor: their risk tolerance and net annual expenses.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026
If parents want to do something special, Russell recommends quickly using a cookie cutter on a sandwich or adding a sticker alongside the snacks.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2025
What tech offers a lot of the time is a standard cookie cutter approach.
From BBC • Jan. 10, 2025
If using a ready made crust with two in a pack, roll out the second one, use a cookie cutter to make rounds to place in an oiled muffin pan for mini pies.
From Salon • Dec. 19, 2024
“What?” he said, turning from the counter where Mama had him cutting out biscuits with a cookie cutter and putting them on an oven tray.
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
