1
: a device used (as by showmen) to evoke a desired audience response
2
: pretentious nonsense : bunkum
Examples of hokum in a Sentence
Everyone knows his story is pure hokum.
His new film is yet another piece of Hollywood hokum.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ultimately, what saves the movie is the cast and crew’s expert devotion to its polished, well-meaning hokum.
—
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
In past case studies of argyria, a common source is hokum therapies promoted by naturopaths and their ilk.
—Ars Technica, 10 Jan. 2025
The Tribune eventually admitted in print that its story was intentional hokum.
—Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2025
Some of the biggest peddlers of drone hokum have been elected officials.
—Noah Shachtman, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hokum
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Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
In past case studies of argyria, a common source is hokum therapies promoted by naturopaths and their ilk.
—Ars Technica, 10 Jan. 2025
The Tribune eventually admitted in print that its story was intentional hokum.
—Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2025
Some of the biggest peddlers of drone hokum have been elected officials.
—Noah Shachtman, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hokum
Cite this Entry
“Hokum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hokum. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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