mumbo jumbo

noun

ˌməm-bō-ˈjəm-(ˌ)bō How to pronounce mumbo jumbo (audio)
Definition of mumbo jumbonext
as in nonsense
unintelligible or meaningless talk the soothsayer's predictions were nothing but mumbo jumbo

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mumbo jumbo But besides all the business mumbo jumbo, there is nothing like doing comedy for a live audience and getting that feedback and that energy. — Frank Digiacomo, Billboard, 10 July 2025 This is the familiar mumbo jumbo that Hollywood loves to attach to surfing, to highlight the metaphysical connection that surfers have to the waves, the ocean, and maybe even the cosmos. — Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 4 Mar. 2025 Trying to decode that spirit's mystical mumbo jumbo into actionable intelligence is a key part of your effort against the Dreamscourge. — Ars Technica, 13 Feb. 2025 Strong actors also can’t prop up a script built out of barely penetrable mumbo jumbo. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for mumbo jumbo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mumbo jumbo
  1. nonsense
  2. babble
  3. double Dutch
  4. prattle
  5. chatter
  6. jabber
  7. blah
Noun
  • Anyway, Cunningham faced a ton of nonsense from the onset, mainly from the crowd.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • No Instagram gimmicks, no fusion nonsense, just the best version of something that sounds simple but isn't.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026
Definition of nonsense
Noun
  • Companies modelled after Mary Kay that have reprised empowerment babble for their founders’ gain are mentioned but receive scarce judgment.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 15 July 2026
  • The film almost completely drops any and all scientific babble from the book in favor of character development, action sequences, and emotional gut punches.
    — Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Definition of babble
Noun
  • As a Black woman who grew up in New York City in the late ’90s and early aughts, double Dutch has always been near and dear to my heart.
    — Sonaiya Kelley, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2024
  • Being Black is a birthright privilege, and a rite of passage, like learning how to parallel park or double Dutch.
    — Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 3 June 2024
Definition of double Dutch
Noun
  • The Korean Football Association was furious, responding to this juvenile, but ultimately harmless, prattle by boycotting the Korean press.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 24 June 2026
  • Some of the prattle can feel like treading water, a delaying tactic until the inevitable confrontation scene.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of prattle
Noun
  • When Zayn lost the WWE title to Punk less than two weeks after winning it, there was a lot of chatter that he had been shortchanged and would never get a crack at the WWE title again.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Out on the field, chatter started from fans above the Tigers’ dugout.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of chatter
Noun
  • Some children clustered there to jabber and run madly about, while others just wanted attention and knew how to get it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
  • And given that these are not professional actors, or even (in most cases) people who aspire to be, LaBeouf’s words to them, full of deadly serious jabber about empathy and ego, are pumped up with an intensity that feels overdone and inappropriate.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 May 2025
Definition of jabber
Noun
  • Frankly, most ballet flats are a bit too blah for this look and would throw off the proportions.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 23 July 2026
  • What used to be a forum for original, quirky, clever remarks by the Daily News’ varied community of smartypants has turned into a gridlock of repetitious venting of old, dumb blah.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 10 July 2026
Definition of blah

Browse Nearby Words

mumbling
mumbo jumbo
mummer
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Cite this Entry

“Mumbo jumbo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mumbo%20jumbo. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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