as in terrible
marked by low quality and unbecoming appearance
We tolerate the neighbors' tawdry Christmas display during the holidays, but by January we're about sick of it.
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as in trumpery
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Recent Examples of tawdry
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 18 Dec. 2024
Choosing the most wonderful time of the year as the time frame is clever and purposeful, too: For every twinkly Christmas tree and festive gathering, there’s a tawdry, dangerous scheme unfolding somewhere close by.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
Trump’s tawdry parade Trump is just about the last person who can credibly criticize Biden’s pardon — which won’t stop him.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Dec. 2024
The younger Biden had denied use of illicit drugs while filling out that form — a claim that was a lie, as some tawdry testimony at his trial made clear.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tawdry
Adjective
Managers leapt at the chance to democratize theater and shed the tawdrier aspects of its reputation, and pantomime was a great way to do so.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 18 Dec. 2024
Choosing the most wonderful time of the year as the time frame is clever and purposeful, too: For every twinkly Christmas tree and festive gathering, there’s a tawdry, dangerous scheme unfolding somewhere close by.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
Trump’s tawdry parade Trump is just about the last person who can credibly criticize Biden’s pardon — which won’t stop him.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Dec. 2024
The younger Biden had denied use of illicit drugs while filling out that form — a claim that was a lie, as some tawdry testimony at his trial made clear.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tawdry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tawdry
Adjective
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Skinner had a terrible time of it for much of the season.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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What is disconcerting is when campaign donors and friends & family have commuted sentences after they have been legally convicted of terrible financial crimes.—
Sanjeev Menon,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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What was the strategic benefit to the US of all this geopolitical trumpery?—
Peter Bergen,
CNN,
28 May 2022
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So will the border continue to vanish in the face of nativist backlash and a trumpery, gimcrack wall?—
Felipe Fernández-Armesto,
WSJ,
25 June 2018
Adjective
-
But nothing has come to fruition yet because Robert's poor play has tanked his trade value.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
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Some parents worry that Alexa's high tolerance for rudeness instills poor behavior in their kids, according to Quartz.—
Emily Forlini,
PC Magazine,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Politics Trump officials’ defiance over Abrego Garcia’s deportation is ‘shocking,’ appeals court says April 17, 2025 His underlings ape his ghoulish glee in making life miserable for undocumented immigrants.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2025
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Just 22 regulation wins, more than only the miserable Chicago Blackhawks (20) and San Jose Sharks (14)?—
Kevin Kurz,
New York Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But who has time for all of that frippery, anyway, when war’s a-comin’?—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
20 Dec. 2024
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The British actor, almost as a counterpoint to the Nantucket frippery on display in the adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s chart-topping beach read, can now be found on the stage of the prestigious Almeida Theatre in Islington, North London.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Gunsmoke that smells of rotten eggs wafts over the field.—
Melanie Stetson Freeman,
Christian Science Monitor,
17 Apr. 2025
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These can cause your poop to smell like rotten eggs.12 Food intolerances, like lactose intolerance or gluten sensitivity can also cause smelly poop.—
Kirstyn Hill, PharmD, MPH,
Health,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Spectators got wind of the sensible footwear concealed by the Fiesta finery and began demanding to see the shoes.—
Jill Robbins,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2025
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The King and Queen looked regal in their white-tie finery and blue Order of the Garter sashes then, with the Queen topping her look with the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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With police turning a blind eye, Portland became a honeypot for local and out-of-state addicts to score cheap dope and use it freely.—
Jason Motlagh,
Rolling Stone,
27 Apr. 2025
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China leads the global production of cheap goods made in large volume, such as dishes and cooking gadgets.—
Pablo Robles,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tawdry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tawdry. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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