as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
the idea that you can get a cold from not dressing warmly is claptrap
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in mechanical
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of claptrap
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023
One is that a Kennedy candidacy that gains any real traction alone will increase the political credibility of anti-vax claptrap, which already has more than enough.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2023
That meant rolling home with bloody scrapes full of gravel past old farmhouses cheap enough for mailmen and jazz musicians to buy, build claptrap chicken coops and grow weed in the backyard.
—Daniel Duane, New York Times, 30 May 2023
In ours, though, bureaucrats, corporations, and risk managers seem to have grasped that engaging in critical claptrap about popular culture – Marx’s ‘ruthless criticism of all that exists’ – asks easier gestures of them than the work of real administration.
—Matthew Carey Salyer, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for claptrap 
Noun
But one is accustomed to hearing this claptrap from the right-wing fringe, not from anyone reaching Johnson’s elevated position in the government.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for claptrap
Noun
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And yeah, some of the items on his list are utter nonsense.Eric Miquelon, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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There is no nonsense in Ron Norsworthy’s gaze or tone.Essence, Essence, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Anyone trying to stand in the technology’s way is as hopeless as the manual weavers who resisted the mechanical looms in the early 19th century.Nir Eisikovits, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024
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The team is currently working on creating an improved coating that can reduce FOG deposits in sewers by enhancing both its self-healing capabilities and mechanical strength.Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Generic garbage with weird phrases and a robotic structure.Jodie Cook, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
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And composting leaves means less going to the garbage dump.Lauren David, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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McKissic writes that evangelical leaders' acceptance of Trump despite his alleged immoral conduct is hypocritical, contrasting it with their past condemnation of former President Bill Clinton's indiscretions.David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
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Some even pointed to an interview Yang recently conducted with the pop star for Interview magazine, claiming that his comments seemed hypocritical in hindsight given the nature of his SNL performance.Stephen Daw, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2024
Noun
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For constipation, drink fluids and gradually increase fiber intake from sources like bran, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds to promote regular bowel movements.Patricia Weiser, PharmD, Verywell Health, 2 Oct. 2024
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Small packages like candy and nuts often slide around and clutter your space.Hannah Rice, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Johnson: There’s so much rubbish talked about this.Susan Page, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
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Collins was mortified; the conga player was rubbish.Ryan Craig, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Wilson’s film, while suitably bright and busy, is a more conventional kids’ entertainment, with a contrived quest narrative that lands the franchise further than ever from the modest, homey spirit of Michael Bond’s original books.Guy Lodge, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024
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Per comments on the dedicated sub-Reddit for his massive podcast Kill Tony, even Hinchcliffe’s fans are divided on whether his stand-up is too derivative or reliant on contrived provocation.Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Others offered themselves as mediators in the sincere (or insincere) hope of minimizing the war’s direct and ancillary costs or even of ending it altogether.Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2024
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That’s not to say there’s no room for course-correction — Karen’s frenemy Gizelle Bryant suddenly learning how to apologize this season is a good example — but that a sudden personality transplant reads as insincere.Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near claptrap
Cite this Entry
“Claptrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claptrap. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
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