1
as in goose
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
only a turkey would think it's a good idea to go for a jog when the weather drops below zero
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person
you turkey, that wasn't my boyfriend—it was my brother!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disaster
something that has failed
his business venture ended up being a turkey, and he lost quite a bit of money on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of turkey
Lunches and dinners were a time for our chef to show off a bit: turkey and leek pie with chips, mushroom and spinach risotto, chicken curry with bhaji and chutney.
—
Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 25 July 2025
Don’t preoccupy yourself too much with the plot; just enjoy the deadpan humor, excellent visual gags (like the Tim Hortons sign in Farsi), and surreal images (like the turkey dealer with large studio headshots of turkeys on the wall).
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 21 July 2025
Add turkey slices, 1 slice sharp cheddar, 2 slices each tomato and cucumber, a pile of sprouts, and thinly sliced pepperoncini.
—Katie Sullivan Morford, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 July 2025
So are the deer, turkeys, skunks, crickets, spiders, ticks, bats, dragonflies, and ospreys.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turkey
Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 25 July 2025
Don’t preoccupy yourself too much with the plot; just enjoy the deadpan humor, excellent visual gags (like the Tim Hortons sign in Farsi), and surreal images (like the turkey dealer with large studio headshots of turkeys on the wall).
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 21 July 2025
Add turkey slices, 1 slice sharp cheddar, 2 slices each tomato and cucumber, a pile of sprouts, and thinly sliced pepperoncini.
—Katie Sullivan Morford, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 July 2025
So are the deer, turkeys, skunks, crickets, spiders, ticks, bats, dragonflies, and ospreys.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turkey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turkey
Noun
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The short’s synopsis reads: After the death of her husband, Janet decides to distract herself by rearing a goose, which is to be the centrepiece of her Christmas dinner.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
20 Aug. 2025
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One industry executive speaking on background said the project effectively sent the country’s banking industry on a wild goose chase.—
Aaron Stanley,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The assessment will inform a potential request by Gov. Tony Evers for a presidential disaster declaration, which would unlock federal aid.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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Federal and state agencies have said little on whether immigration enforcement would be suspended in a disaster.—
Gabriela Aoun Angueira,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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William Higgins New Smyrna Beach The president of the United States has allowed an ex-KGB agent to show the world what a fool the United States has for a president.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 Aug. 2025
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Everything ever published has the fingerprints of many many people—don’t fool yourself into thinking anything comes into this world fully formed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The company also raised from the sea two motors from the previous Vulcan launch last year after one of them suffered a nozzle failure during launch.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
29 Aug. 2025
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The next-generation rocket met all objectives, including successful release of dummy satellites into space and a simulated engine failure during landing.—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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So, the parallel thing that I’ve been frustrated by recently is not just calling Trump stupid, but calling Trump voters stupid.—
Drew Broussard
May 22,
Literary Hub,
22 May 2025
-
Sometimes too stupid is actually smartski but sometimes is just stupid stupid.—
Caroline Downey,
National Review,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
But not as a cartoon metal maniac chomping on bat flesh.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
23 July 2025
-
Imagine if zombies were just humans who their intellect, but are also homicidal maniacs.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
24 July 2025
Noun
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Each year, fire safety officials warn of the dangers of fireworks and stage demonstrations of dummies that catch fire and watermelons that explode.—
Linda Trischitta,
Sun-Sentinel.com,
10 July 2017
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At NASA Langley's Landing and Impact Research Facility, ten crash test dummies were buckled into a section of airplane fuselage and dropped from the sky.—
Chris Clarke,
Popular Mechanics,
6 July 2017
Noun
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Born on July 22, 1938, in Stepney, London, Stamp grew up in the shadow of World War II’s Blitz, dodging bombs and dreaming of the silver screen.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Aug. 2025
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Apa and Cline are both cracking up now as Apa drops one more bomb.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Turkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turkey. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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