as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
a bonehead decision to trade their best player
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in idiot
a stupid person
the package's directions seem to suggest that anyone who would buy such a product is a bonehead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of bonehead
Dylan Bumbarger, oregonlive, 30 Oct. 2022
Yours truly made the bonehead decision to fly to New York for Game 1 of that series the day after our post-marathon-bombing, shelter-in-place Friday.
—BostonGlobe.com, 29 May 2021
Josh Dubow, oregonlive, 14 Jan. 2023
The Patriots pulled off one of the top five most-bonehead plays in post-merger NFL history in losing to the Raiders in Week 15.
—Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 20 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for bonehead
Adjective
Szturc late in the 2nd picked up a bonehead 10-minute misconduct for a mouthguard violation.
—Dylan Bumbarger, oregonlive, 30 Oct. 2022
Yours truly made the bonehead decision to fly to New York for Game 1 of that series the day after our post-marathon-bombing, shelter-in-place Friday.
—BostonGlobe.com, 29 May 2021
Noun
The Seahawks took a 17-16 lead into the half thanks to a bonehead play by Niners safety Jimmie Ward.
—Josh Dubow, oregonlive, 14 Jan. 2023
The Patriots pulled off one of the top five most-bonehead plays in post-merger NFL history in losing to the Raiders in Week 15.
—Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 20 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for bonehead
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bonehead
Adjective
-
Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.—
Daniel Jackson,
Allure,
18 July 2017
-
Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.—
Andy Benoit,
The MMQB,
10 July 2017
Adjective
-
Jess: The curds themselves are crispy, but the toast is stupid.—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
22 Aug. 2025
-
The dialogue wasn’t dumbed down and stupid comic book stuff.—
William Earl,
Variety,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Joseph can also play the right side, and his presence gives the Canucks flexibility to take it slow with the likes of Tom Willander and Victor Mancini at camp.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
22 Aug. 2025
-
New York lawmakers are proposing rules to humanely drive down the population of rats and other rodents, eyeing contraception and a ban on glue traps as alternatives to poison or a slow, brutal death.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
For Zander, who has spent three decades championing play as a form of healing, the solution lies in something deceptively simple: rediscovering the human joy of play.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Fun’s model is simple in theory but ambitious in practice: turn crypto trading volume into a permanent funding stream.—
Jemma Green,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The sturdy handle and thicker walls echo the utility these beers were brewed for—robust, satisfying, and meant to be lingered over.—
Hudson Lindenberger,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
-
One is a Dutch oven, a heavy pot with thick walls and a tight-fitting lid, typically cast iron and traditionally used for stews, soups and bread.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bonehead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonehead. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share