baloney

1 of 3

noun (1)

ba·​lo·​ney bə-ˈlō-nē How to pronounce baloney (audio)
Synonyms of baloneynext

less common spelling of bologna

: a large smoked sausage of beef, veal, and pork
also : a sausage made (as of turkey) to resemble bologna

baloney

2 of 3

noun (2)

ba·​lo·​ney bə-ˈlō-nē How to pronounce baloney (audio)
variants or less commonly boloney
: pretentious nonsense : bunkum
often used as a generalized expression of disagreement

bologna

3 of 3

noun (3)

bo·​lo·​gna bə-ˈlō-nē How to pronounce bologna (audio)
also -nyə
-nə
variants or less commonly baloney
: a large smoked sausage of beef, veal, and pork
also : a sausage made (as of turkey) to resemble bologna

Examples of baloney in a Sentence

Noun (2) just follow my orders, and stop the baloney
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Techniques like curing and smoking are common, and some deli meats (including mortadella and bologna) are made with ground meat and spices that are piped into a casing, then cooked. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2026 One editor compared its flavor to bologna. Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2026 The hot dogs, sausage, ham, bacon, pepperoni, bologna and Lunchables in that cold unit also weren’t cool enough and got smothered with Stop Sales. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026 Avoid or significantly limit eating salami and bologna, which are saltier and higher in fat. Colleen Doherty, Verywell Health, 21 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for baloney

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

bologna

Noun (3)

short for Bologna sausage, from Bologna, Italy

First Known Use

Noun (2)

1922, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of baloney was in 1850

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Baloney.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baloney. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.

Geographical Definition

Bologna

geographical name

Bo·​lo·​gna bō-ˈlō-nyä How to pronounce Bologna (audio)
variants or ancient Bononia
commune in northern Italy at the foot of the Apennines; capital of the region of Emilia-Romagna population 379,964
Bolognan adjective or noun
or Bolognese
ˌbō-lə-ˈnēz How to pronounce Bologna (audio)
-ˈnēs
-ˈnyēz
-ˈnyēs

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