as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
his persona may be that of an aw-shucks country singer, but offstage he is anything but
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Recent Examples of aw-shucks
McCain, played by Jason Tam, is presented as an aw-shucks straight man who can’t believe what his party has come to.
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Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2024
Sadler was an aw-shucks, yes-sir, no-ma’am twangy singer who was raised in Texas.
—Keith Sharon, USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2024
And for a long time, Mr. Justice and his family’s companies have managed to stave off one threat after another with wily legal tactics notably at odds with the aw-shucks persona that has endeared him to so many West Virginians.
—Maureen Farrell, New York Times, 12 May 2024
Damon’s Tom does transform, but the actor’s aw-shucks wholesomeness in early scenes fails to persuasively foreshadow the protagonist’s violent potential.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
The aw-shucks, nose-to-the-grindstone image is the real deal, insist friends and family from back in the sprawling Phoenix suburbs.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2024
Their tone departed from the more wholesome, aw-shucks style of KVN.
—Simon Shuster, TIME, 4 Jan. 2024
In hopes of winning an illustrious scholarship, Coriolanus takes on an unexpected assignment: as mentor for Hunger Games participant Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a nomadic musician boasting an aw-shucks affectation and affinity for serpents.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2023
In a Capitol full of swagger, Rivas’ vibe is decidedly aw-shucks.
—Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2023
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2024
Sadler was an aw-shucks, yes-sir, no-ma’am twangy singer who was raised in Texas.
—Keith Sharon, USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2024
And for a long time, Mr. Justice and his family’s companies have managed to stave off one threat after another with wily legal tactics notably at odds with the aw-shucks persona that has endeared him to so many West Virginians.
—Maureen Farrell, New York Times, 12 May 2024
Damon’s Tom does transform, but the actor’s aw-shucks wholesomeness in early scenes fails to persuasively foreshadow the protagonist’s violent potential.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
The aw-shucks, nose-to-the-grindstone image is the real deal, insist friends and family from back in the sprawling Phoenix suburbs.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2024
Their tone departed from the more wholesome, aw-shucks style of KVN.
—Simon Shuster, TIME, 4 Jan. 2024
In hopes of winning an illustrious scholarship, Coriolanus takes on an unexpected assignment: as mentor for Hunger Games participant Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a nomadic musician boasting an aw-shucks affectation and affinity for serpents.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2023
In a Capitol full of swagger, Rivas’ vibe is decidedly aw-shucks.
—Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aw-shucks
Adjective
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Dimon went on to say that the United States needed to avoid being naive and allowing larger global events to play out without any intervention.Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
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In a bloody good mix of horror comedy and murder mystery, Sam Richardson plays a naive but good-hearted forest ranger new to a small Vermont town out to catch a killer (who may or may not be a werewolf) among the various kooky residents. 55.Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The message was clear: Even if your group is defined by targeting innocent people, the Biden-Harris White House will bestow the same legitimacy upon you as any nation-state by granting you a seat at the negotiating table.Pat Fallon, National Review, 3 Nov. 2024
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Investigators believe the two men who were injured were innocent bystanders, police said.Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Both measures required a simple majority for passage.Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
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Not toward Settembrini’s international republic of letters, and not back toward his simple bourgeois life down in the flatlands.George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Houde said these mammoth animals are a primitive group of proboscideans ('elephantoids') from which modern elephants evolved.Joseph J. Kolb, Fox News, 18 July 2017
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Many are primitive and remote, and don’t have restrooms or water.OregonLive.com, OregonLive.com, 12 July 2017
Thesaurus Entries Near aw-shucks
Cite this Entry
“Aw-shucks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aw-shucks. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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