as in inexperienced
lacking in adult experience or maturity
a story about a callow youth who learns the value of hard work and self-reliance
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Recent Examples of callow
At a moment when American architecture was caught between an exhausted Modernism and a callow Postmodernism, Frank Gehry showed the way forward.
—
Martin Filler, The New York Review of Books, 12 Dec. 2025
The callow striver Redmond Barry is played by 1970s heartthrob Ryan O’Neal, in one of his best performances, a reluctant conscript in the British army after leaving his Irish home in disgrace.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 29 Sep. 2025
But obviously, these days, that’s a feeling that isn’t exclusive to just callow indie kids.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2025
The two performers effortlessly convey their characters’ callow charm, and there’s a disarming lack of to-do in the way Uttapa, at the center of the story, rides its tonal shifts as Olmo faces moments of awakening, both sublime and potentially shattering.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for callow
Martin Filler, The New York Review of Books, 12 Dec. 2025
The callow striver Redmond Barry is played by 1970s heartthrob Ryan O’Neal, in one of his best performances, a reluctant conscript in the British army after leaving his Irish home in disgrace.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 29 Sep. 2025
But obviously, these days, that’s a feeling that isn’t exclusive to just callow indie kids.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2025
The two performers effortlessly convey their characters’ callow charm, and there’s a disarming lack of to-do in the way Uttapa, at the center of the story, rides its tonal shifts as Olmo faces moments of awakening, both sublime and potentially shattering.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for callow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for callow
Adjective
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At $18 or even $15 per hour, many companies don’t see value in hiring inexperienced teens who require extensive training to interact with customers, let alone achieve some measure of productivity.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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Lagway’s depature after 19 starts leaves the Gators to choose between two talented, yet inexperienced options with just one combined start — by Philo against Gardner-Webb in 2025.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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The first thing a stressed cucumber plant will do is drop blossoms and immature fruit, says Gorlin-Crenshaw.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
18 June 2026
-
The repetition accounts for immature pollen grains and mediates weather challenges by offering multiple opportunities for the pollen to transfer to the stigma.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Witt has known the coach since his adolescent years.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
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Upward of a hundred promising adolescent boys, scouted as young as six, are admitted each year to live and train at the facility full time, in a system that resembles top youth-development programs in Europe and South America.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Moderate exercise has been shown to improve learning among students from elementary school through young adulthood, and the effects on attention, memory and executive function are well-documented, pediatricians say.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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Star pitcher Logan Webb and several of the team's young major leaguers, however, are not expected to be put on the block.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Callow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/callow. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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