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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in mechanical
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of claptrap
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
The show is also virtually devoid of romantic escapades, a good thing since Dumas’ novel is filled with a lot of sentimental claptrap about fighting for defenseless women’s honor or seducing virtuous maidens or going to war due to the physical beauty of a monarch.
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Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
This is Spielberg at his most pure and sensational, an undiluted cinematic experience that lacks any of his sentimental claptrap and steers clear of his tendency for multiple endings.
—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
Many Red Sox fans have had it up to here with that building-for-the-future claptrap, so much so that expectations were scary low coming into the 2024 season.
—
Steve Buckley,
The Athletic,
31 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for claptrap
Noun
Behavioral-analysis claptrap abounds.
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Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
The show is also virtually devoid of romantic escapades, a good thing since Dumas’ novel is filled with a lot of sentimental claptrap about fighting for defenseless women’s honor or seducing virtuous maidens or going to war due to the physical beauty of a monarch.
—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
This is Spielberg at his most pure and sensational, an undiluted cinematic experience that lacks any of his sentimental claptrap and steers clear of his tendency for multiple endings.
—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
Many Red Sox fans have had it up to here with that building-for-the-future claptrap, so much so that expectations were scary low coming into the 2024 season.
—
Steve Buckley,
The Athletic,
31 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for claptrap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claptrap
Noun
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Even Hauser can’t rescue this culturally insensitive, stereotype-perpetuating nonsense.
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Some beer companies even make canned versions of the drink, but forget that nonsense — there is nothing better than a fresh, handmade michelada.
Adjective
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Passive cooling, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, refers to ways to lower the indoor temperature that don’t necessarily require mechanical technology, like AC.
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The pool did not open Saturday with the city's other outdoor pools after mechanical problems delayed the start of the season for the second consecutive year.
Noun
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Decomposing food can release hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas synonymous with landfills and garbage.
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Epidemics, worsened by the unsanitary conditions caused by the mountains of garbage the government has stopped collecting, combine with the shortage of medicines and the dire state of medical facilities.
Adjective
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Or means that any comments are supposedly hypocritical.
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Earlier this month, Matsui’s campaign came after Vang for taking corporate donations from Sacramento-area businesses during her city council campaigns, implying that Vang’s vows to not accept money from corporate PACs in her congressional bid is hypocritical.
Noun
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Only construction waste will be accepted at the landfill such as, brush and rubbish, concrete, brick, rock, wood, paper, plastics, cardboard and roofing shingles and tiles.
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So where does the rubbish come from?
Adjective
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The look manages to be on trend without being too contrived.
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Whereas Heineman’s film used its incredible access to the central couple to capture moments that come across as beautifully and uncomfortably intimate and unstaged, Bergh (The Greatest Love Story Never Told) uses his access to make everything pretty and entirely too contrived.
Noun
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Granola One of the original ‘health foods,’ granola contains many nutritious ingredients, such as oats, nuts, and seeds.
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California's Central Valley, stretching some 20,000 square miles (51,800 square kilometers), is an agricultural powerhouse that's estimated to produce 40% of the nation's fruits, nuts and other table foods, including most of its nectarines.
Adjective
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Relatively meaningless but still badass.
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At its core, unlike those meaningless marketing terms, ‘regenerative,’ when used responsibly, is legitimately full of deep meaning and has the potential to make significant human and environmental change when adopted at scale.
Cite this Entry
“Claptrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claptrap. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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