as in eye candy
something attractive but lacking in substance
the beauty pageant is a variety of cotton candy that the public has clearly started to grow tired of
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Recent Examples of cotton candy
Maple syrup enthusiasts often flock to their local maple syrup farm for taste testings of maple syrup, maple candy, maple cream, maple sugar and even maple cotton candy at some locations.
—
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026
Partaking of the green cotton candy was the Westphal family of Gurnee, including parents Jack and Emily, and their children Vaughn, 6, and Gus, 3.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
The Mean Girls mixes vodka, lemon juice, watermelon syrup and cotton candy.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026
Each component of the shoe is customizable, from the textile—including options like cotton candy pink wool and loud plaid checks—to the border lining and sole color.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cotton candy
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026
Partaking of the green cotton candy was the Westphal family of Gurnee, including parents Jack and Emily, and their children Vaughn, 6, and Gus, 3.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
The Mean Girls mixes vodka, lemon juice, watermelon syrup and cotton candy.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026
Each component of the shoe is customizable, from the textile—including options like cotton candy pink wool and loud plaid checks—to the border lining and sole color.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cotton candy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cotton candy
Noun
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Meanwhile theater enthusiasts flock to Round House, and fans of the visual arts find plenty of eye candy in the city’s Arts & Entertainment District, with its galleries and public art.—
Amelia Mularz,
Architectural Digest,
17 Mar. 2026
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But in these images Uranus’s rings and clouds are mostly just eye candy, says Heidi Hammel, a JWST interdisciplinary scientist at the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, who was not involved with the work.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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During the Catholic holiday of Palm Sunday, hundreds of pajareros from across the country flock to Mexico City and decorate 10-foot-tall stacks of cages, adorning them with bright flowers, tinsel and images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico’s patron saint.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Plichta’s boutique also offered for sale sparkly green and gold freckles or hair tinsel.—
Karie Angell Luc,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cotton candy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cotton%20candy. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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