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malarkey
noun
ma·lar·key
mə-ˈlär-kē
variants
or less commonly malarky
: insincere or foolish talk : bunkum
He thinks that everything politicians say is a bunch of malarkey.
Synonyms
- applesauce [slang]
- balderdash
- baloney
- boloney
- beans
- bilge
- blah
- blah-blah
- blarney
- blather
- blatherskite
- blither
- bosh
- bull [slang]
- bunk
- bunkum
- buncombe
- claptrap
- codswallop [British]
- crapola [slang]
- crock
- drivel
- drool
- fiddle
- fiddle-faddle
- fiddlesticks
- flannel [British]
- flapdoodle
- folderol
- falderal
- folly
- foolishness
- fudge
- garbage
- guff
- hogwash
- hokeypokey
- hokum
- hoodoo
- hooey
- horsefeathers [slang]
- humbug
- humbuggery
- jazz
- moonshine
- muck
- nerts [slang]
- nonsense
- nuts
- piffle
- poppycock
- punk
- rot
- rubbish
- senselessness
- silliness
- slush
- stupidity
- taradiddle
- tarradiddle
- tommyrot
- tosh
- trash
- trumpery
- twaddle
Examples of malarkey in a Sentence
He thinks everything politicians say is just a bunch of malarkey.
the old lady declared that everything politicians say is pure malarkey
Recent Examples on the Web
That confusing, round-robin, group-style Olympic basketball malarkey is over!
—
Zach Harper, The Athletic, 5 Aug. 2024
Will the 49ers go with the best-player-available malarkey from the draft or select players to fit specific roster needs?
—
Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
You were fed the same load of malarkey about soccer — right up until Orlando City stepped up and paid for its own stadium.
—
Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2024
There’s a lot of malarkey but also shreds of promise in trying to move beyond the smartphone.
—
Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
origin unknown
First Known Use
1923, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Malarkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malarkey. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
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