as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
a movie about the disaster that's pure Hollywood hokum
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of hokum
Starring as an alcoholic onetime hoops star who returns to his alma mater to coach a losing team, Ben Affleck turns in one of his best performances in a drama that manages to buck expectations, avoid formulaic hokum and deliver on a gripping addiction narrative.
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Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 2 June 2023
All the rest is hokum.
—Terrence Keeley, National Review, 25 Jan. 2023
Miramax started a whisper campaign saying everything good about Saving Private Ryan occurred within the first 15-20 minutes on the beaches of Normandy, and the rest was sentimental hokum.
—Elizabeth Blackwell, Longreads, 2 Mar. 2023
Five years ago, the Thirty-Two-Hour Workweek Act would have been dismissed as progressive hokum.
—Cal Newport, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2022
See all Example Sentences for hokum 
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 2 June 2023
All the rest is hokum.
—Terrence Keeley, National Review, 25 Jan. 2023
Miramax started a whisper campaign saying everything good about Saving Private Ryan occurred within the first 15-20 minutes on the beaches of Normandy, and the rest was sentimental hokum.
—Elizabeth Blackwell, Longreads, 2 Mar. 2023
Five years ago, the Thirty-Two-Hour Workweek Act would have been dismissed as progressive hokum.
—Cal Newport, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2022
See all Example Sentences for hokum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hokum
Noun
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The art world, like the artwork itself, exists in a delicate balance of elitism and absurdity, meaning and nonsense.Natalie Stoclet, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
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The basic idea here is that Vince Vaughn is doing his mid-aughts-dirtbag Vince Vaughn thing but on Christmas — a premise that’s laid on a foundation of plausible-sounding nonsense.Katie Rife, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The best choices for you and the planet Another important omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, is found in nuts and seeds such as walnuts, flaxseeds and chia seeds — with ground flaxseeds and flaxseed oil providing the highest amounts, according to Harvard Medical School’s website.Sandee LaMotte, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
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Try sprinkling ground flaxseed or chia seeds on granola and yogurt, and snack on small quantities of nuts during the day.Sandee LaMotte, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Not to be the bearers of bad news, but your garbage disposal isn’t as good at disposing of garbage as the name implies.Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 7 Dec. 2024
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There are two piles of garbage close to the Stage Star Deli at 105 West 55th Street, where the CCTV camera was recording.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Go Disposable Gone are the days when disposable cups, plates, and utensils were synonymous with landfill rubbish.Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Nov. 2024
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Johnson: There’s so much rubbish talked about this.Susan Page, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The post-election blahs are endemic across the big three cable news outlets, but the viewership numbers of individual networks can drop farther when the candidate seen as their ideological opposite wins.Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Dec. 2024
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Lighting Lighting is the jewelry of any room, so take down those blah builder grade fixtures and replace them with something magical.Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Navalny’s memoir deftly exposes the infinite vices in the current Russian government that rewards venality, cowardice and stupidity but punishes integrity, brains and the courage to speak truth to power.Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 15 Nov. 2024
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That may not be a huge sum of money in a county with an annual operating budget of nearly $5 billion, but it’s got to rank high in sheer stupidity or at least neglect.Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 13 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Nate Burleson to haters of NFL's promo clip featuring Taylor Swift: 'Wipe the drool off your tank top' Burleson didn't hold back while addressing the critics who decried seeing Swift in an NFL hype video.Alex Perry, The Enquirer, 6 Sep. 2024
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The quick clip shows an angry and feral Xenomorph with dark sharp teeth and lips dripping with drool.Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near hokum
Cite this Entry
“Hokum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hokum. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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