# Stop Claude From Overusing "Load-Bearing"

> Published 2026-07-15 · https://www.promptzone.com/joaquin_whitaker/stop-claude-from-overusing-load-bearing-i96

A Hacker News thread on stopping Claude from saying "load-bearing" reached 413 points and 472 comments. The discussion centers on a repeatable system prompt that eliminates the phrase without harming output quality.

## The Phrase Problem

Claude inserts "load-bearing" in technical explanations at rates reported by multiple users as 4-7 times per 800-word response. The word functions as a filler that signals structural importance but adds no new information.

The pattern appears most in architecture, code review, and system design answers.

## How the Fix Works

The solution is a single added instruction placed in the system prompt or at the start of a conversation. It explicitly bans the phrase and supplies two replacement constructions.

Users report the change takes effect immediately on the next generation. No temperature or model version changes are required.

## How to Try It

Add this line to your system prompt:

"Never use the word 'load-bearing'. Replace any intended use with either 'critical' or a direct description of the component's role."

Test on a 500-word technical question. Most users see zero occurrences after one try.

## Pros and Cons

- Pros: Zero cost, works on Claude 3.5 Sonnet and Opus, preserves response length and structure.
- Cons: Requires adding the line to every new thread; does not transfer to other models automatically.

Early testers note the instruction occasionally makes Claude slightly more direct in lists.

## Alternatives and Comparisons

Other models show different filler patterns. GPT-4o favors "crucial" while Gemini 1.5 Pro repeats "foundational."

| Model       | Common Filler   | Fix Method          | Extra Tokens |
|-------------|-----------------|---------------------|--------------|
| Claude 3.5  | load-bearing    | Phrase ban          | 0            |
| GPT-4o      | crucial         | Style instruction   | +3-5         |
| Gemini 1.5  | foundational    | Role definition     | +2-4         |

The Claude-specific ban remains the shortest intervention among the three.

## Who Should Use This

Developers writing technical documentation or code reviews with Claude benefit most. Skip the instruction if your workflow already includes heavy post-editing or if you prefer Claude's current voice.

## Bottom Line / Verdict

The single-sentence ban removes the repetitive phrase while leaving every other behavior unchanged.

The same approach can be adapted for other overused terms once they are identified in a model's output distribution.