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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in mechanical
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of claptrap
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
This is Spielberg at his most pure and sensational, an undiluted cinematic experience that lacks any of his sentimental claptrap and steers clear of his tendency for multiple endings.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 20 June 2025
Third, despite Trump’s claptrap, plenty of fresh delta water is being pumped south to fill fire hydrants and the tanks of firefighting aircraft.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Many Red Sox fans have had it up to here with that building-for-the-future claptrap, so much so that expectations were scary low coming into the 2024 season.
—Steve Buckley, The Athletic, 31 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for claptrap
Noun
The show is also virtually devoid of romantic escapades, a good thing since Dumas’ novel is filled with a lot of sentimental claptrap about fighting for defenseless women’s honor or seducing virtuous maidens or going to war due to the physical beauty of a monarch.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
This is Spielberg at his most pure and sensational, an undiluted cinematic experience that lacks any of his sentimental claptrap and steers clear of his tendency for multiple endings.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 20 June 2025
Third, despite Trump’s claptrap, plenty of fresh delta water is being pumped south to fill fire hydrants and the tanks of firefighting aircraft.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Many Red Sox fans have had it up to here with that building-for-the-future claptrap, so much so that expectations were scary low coming into the 2024 season.
—Steve Buckley, The Athletic, 31 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for claptrap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claptrap
Noun
-
Not only is that nonsense, but Israel took this into account.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
17 June 2026
-
Get outta here with that nonsense.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Driving through deep water can also negatively affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 June 2026
-
Of the two teams Genesis fielded, one was forced out early due to mechanical issues, but the other team finished, placing 13th in a field of 62 (though not all teams finished the race).—
Scotty Reiss,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
Every campsite has a bear-resistant food locker, and visitors are being reminded to store food, garbage and other attractants properly.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
-
While the Doral incinerator used to burn about half of the county’s daily trash supply, Miami-Dade is now using trucks and trains to send its garbage to landfills across Florida.—
Douglas Hanks
June 11,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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Earlier this month, Matsui’s campaign came after Vang for taking corporate donations from Sacramento-area businesses during her city council campaigns, implying that Vang’s vows to not accept money from corporate PACs in her congressional bid is hypocritical.—
Mathew Miranda
June 4,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
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People are fixating on celebrities of all kinds, accusing singers of body-positive anthems of being hypocritical, rolling their eyes at athletes promoting weight loss drugs and whispering about the thinness of their favorite movie stars.—
Sara Moniuszko,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Noun
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So where does the rubbish come from?—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
8 June 2026
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With no petrol to run dustbin trucks, rubbish is being burnt in the streets.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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The look manages to be on trend without being too contrived.—
Selene Oliva,
Glamour,
12 June 2026
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Whereas Heineman’s film used its incredible access to the central couple to capture moments that come across as beautifully and uncomfortably intimate and unstaged, Bergh (The Greatest Love Story Never Told) uses his access to make everything pretty and entirely too contrived.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Tawny Port spends years in barrel, picking up notes of caramel, nuts, and toffee along the way.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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Pairing them with a meal containing some fat, even avocado toast or yogurt with nuts, makes a real difference.—
Allison Palmer
Updated June 13,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
Adjective
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Many feminist Marxists believed, in the ’70s, that the liberation of sexuality would change the way that all people love one another and inhabit their bodies, such that the very categories of cissexual society shall become odd and meaningless.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
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But that doesn't mean the data is unimportant or meaningless, especially when HRV is considered alongside other health information such as sleep quality, resting heart rate, activity levels, recovery patterns or stress metrics.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Claptrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claptrap. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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