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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as in mechanical
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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.
—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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claptrap
Noun
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Just ask anyone who's watched an AI confidently spit out nonsense—or worse.—
Bob Ras,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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While Drop, clocking in at an economical 93 minutes, may sound like fun and games, there’s something deeper and more human at its core than mindless nonsense.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Driving through deep water can also negatively affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
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New talent: We were introduced to Lederer this year and were totally in awe of his amazing mechanical wonders.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Unlike a regular old garbage bag, these are leakproof and durable (and thus much harder for a squirrel to rip into, if given the chance).—
Sara Coughlin,
SELF,
22 Apr. 2025
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Four 20-pound bags of hamburger buns and sandwich breads got hit with Stop Sales, sending 80 pounds of bread into the garbage.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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What to Know Condemning Western criticism of Iran's military development as hypocritical, Khamenei stressed the importance of both physical and psychological warfare, according to state media.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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Republicans, meanwhile, have suggested Democrats are being hypocritical about Musk’s involvement, noting that liberals like Pritzker and Soros are also wading into the race.—
Caroline Vakil,
The Hill,
30 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Use it to find and retrieve stray nuts or bolts in any crevice.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2025
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Without that pollination, almond trees produce only 200 pounds of nuts per acre.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The site was first excavated beginning in 1995, and in 2018, scientists began collecting, analyzing and radiocarbon dating fossils unearthed from El Gigante rubbish piles.—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
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Last year, a dumpster diver in Hudson, New York, stumbled upon an extraordinary find: An 18th-century pen-and-ink sketch by English portraitist George Romney was hidden amid the rubbish.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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While such generalizations have historically been used to demonize enemies, there is still a contrived tendency to divide the world into land and sea powers.—
Colin Flint,
The Conversation,
25 Mar. 2025
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Trump’s contrived veneer is being ripped away to reveal an immoral, mendacious, transactional opportunist, without a shred of loyalty to anyone or anything but himself.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Baldwins shame him, but their righteous indignation feels insincere considering Baldwin wasn’t using her name in that footage with detectives.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2025
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Even insincere inquiries are generally appreciated.—
Aditi Shrikant,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Claptrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claptrap. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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