as in naive
lacking in sophistication
a simplistic belief in claims of the product's effectiveness simplistic thinking
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Recent Examples of simplistic
Well, that may be a bit simplistic for such high-stakes negotiations.
—
Sports Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Mar. 2026
Understanding that complexity moves society beyond simplistic views of weight regulation.
—Claudio Villanueva, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2026
Ed tech proponents say this argument is too simplistic, and point to other analyses that find mixed or modest positive impacts from digital instruction.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 10 Mar. 2026
LastPass's on-screen instructions also guide you through the setup process in a way that is both instructive and not too simplistic, which is great.
—Kim Key, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for simplistic
Sports Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Mar. 2026
Understanding that complexity moves society beyond simplistic views of weight regulation.
—Claudio Villanueva, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2026
Ed tech proponents say this argument is too simplistic, and point to other analyses that find mixed or modest positive impacts from digital instruction.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 10 Mar. 2026
LastPass's on-screen instructions also guide you through the setup process in a way that is both instructive and not too simplistic, which is great.
—Kim Key, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for simplistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for simplistic
Adjective
-
My call with her was my naïve attempt at just this.—
Elisa Wouk Almino
Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Those two youngsters happen to be a happily engaged, and happily naive, couple, and the series plays out exploring the dynamics between the two relationships, one young, loving and energetic, the other old, tired and toxic.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Build buffer time, trim one commitment, then return to the itinerary with even gentler expectations and a simpler packing list.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Parents, guardians, aunts and uncles don't have time to read every book on the shelf while trying to pick something for the young reader in their life, so here are some simple ways to determine if a book is suitable for that child.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Rock and pop are often unsophisticated, or downright dumb.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Many are installed with minimal security by unsophisticated users who fail to set up passwords or install security patches.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Simplistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/simplistic. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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