as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
the idea that you can get a cold from not dressing warmly is claptrap
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in mechanical
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of claptrap
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023
One is that a Kennedy candidacy that gains any real traction alone will increase the political credibility of anti-vax claptrap, which already has more than enough.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2023
That meant rolling home with bloody scrapes full of gravel past old farmhouses cheap enough for mailmen and jazz musicians to buy, build claptrap chicken coops and grow weed in the backyard.
—Daniel Duane, New York Times, 30 May 2023
In ours, though, bureaucrats, corporations, and risk managers seem to have grasped that engaging in critical claptrap about popular culture – Marx’s ‘ruthless criticism of all that exists’ – asks easier gestures of them than the work of real administration.
—Matthew Carey Salyer, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for claptrap 
Noun
But one is accustomed to hearing this claptrap from the right-wing fringe, not from anyone reaching Johnson’s elevated position in the government.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023
One is that a Kennedy candidacy that gains any real traction alone will increase the political credibility of anti-vax claptrap, which already has more than enough.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2023
That meant rolling home with bloody scrapes full of gravel past old farmhouses cheap enough for mailmen and jazz musicians to buy, build claptrap chicken coops and grow weed in the backyard.
—Daniel Duane, New York Times, 30 May 2023
In ours, though, bureaucrats, corporations, and risk managers seem to have grasped that engaging in critical claptrap about popular culture – Marx’s ‘ruthless criticism of all that exists’ – asks easier gestures of them than the work of real administration.
—Matthew Carey Salyer, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for claptrap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claptrap
Noun
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On the one hand, Amazon Autos strips away all that nonsense – find your car, handle the details online, pick it up, done.Chris Walton, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
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Others resorted to full-on screams, as layoffs in the industry charted record highs and developers found themselves under attack online for conspiratorial nonsense.Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Despite the best efforts of officers and the relentless, mechanical drive of war, peace still sprung up organically whenever the season allowed.Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Dec. 2024
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Different sub-sets of the population view items differently at auction, and the grouping of people who are prepared to own an $800,000 mechanical artwork are all part-historian and recognize the roots of America's unique motorcycle culture.Mike Hanlon, New Atlas, 23 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The juvenile was white with brownish brindle patches around each eye and found in a garbage bag.Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 17 Dec. 2024
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While Dogtown's hot dog menu is immense, Basile said garbage plates are always a top seller.Angelica Stabile, Fox News, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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And to sit up there, man, and to be just blatantly hypocritical is funny and sickening at the same time.Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
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If an organization’s culture is aspirational rather than lived and practiced, the result is often a hypocritical, inauthentic hiring experience.Lori Landrum, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Sources of magnesium include whole grains, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and legumes.Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, RDN, Health, 23 Dec. 2024
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Focus on magnesium-rich foods like leafy green vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, RDN, Health, 23 Dec. 2024
Noun
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But there has been so much rubbish written about me and Brittany.Alex Gurley, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
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The issue is that travelers generate 1,742 pounds of poop and other rubbish each day, with authorities struggling to remove it.Alex Ledsom, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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That finding, the researchers said, came from a contrived scenario unlikely to occur in real life.Billy Perrigo, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024
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Wilson’s film, while suitably bright and busy, is a more conventional kids’ entertainment, with a contrived quest narrative that lands the franchise further than ever from the modest, homey spirit of Michael Bond’s original books.Guy Lodge, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Personalization is key to effective cold emailing, but doing it wrong can make your emails feel insincere or even drive people away.Samuel Darwin, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
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Carolyn Hax: Do superlative compliments start to feel insincere?Washington Post, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near claptrap
Cite this Entry
“Claptrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claptrap. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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