as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
a combat veteran himself, he could not believe the balderdash he was hearing from whippersnappers with no war experience at all
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Recent Examples of balderdash
Kennedy has elevated threats to the livelihoods of scientists who have resisted his brand of balderdash from the implicit to the explicit.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2024
While schools do exist in rough tiers of selectivity, size, excellence, prestige and so forth, the idea of precise rankings is balderdash.
—David M. Perry, CNN, 14 Sep. 2022
With that in mind, the experts look at Cannon’s decision and see balderdash everywhere.
—Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 12 Sep. 2022
Declaring himself a victim is not just hyperbole or balderdash.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2022
Many experts in finance and digital security have been watching with dismay as consumers and policymakers bought in to promoters’ balderdash.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2022
Sorry to say, that is unmitigated balderdash and completely misleading.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2021
The popular myth of important artists being neglected in their lifetimes is for the most part balderdash.
—Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 19 July 2021
The Hill, however, was a happy home for this balderdash, thanks to the famously lax editorial standards that suffuse the paper’s operations.
—Libby Watson, The New Republic, 27 Sep. 2019
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2024
While schools do exist in rough tiers of selectivity, size, excellence, prestige and so forth, the idea of precise rankings is balderdash.
—David M. Perry, CNN, 14 Sep. 2022
With that in mind, the experts look at Cannon’s decision and see balderdash everywhere.
—Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 12 Sep. 2022
Declaring himself a victim is not just hyperbole or balderdash.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2022
Many experts in finance and digital security have been watching with dismay as consumers and policymakers bought in to promoters’ balderdash.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2022
Sorry to say, that is unmitigated balderdash and completely misleading.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2021
The popular myth of important artists being neglected in their lifetimes is for the most part balderdash.
—Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 19 July 2021
The Hill, however, was a happy home for this balderdash, thanks to the famously lax editorial standards that suffuse the paper’s operations.
—Libby Watson, The New Republic, 27 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balderdash
Noun
-
Sarah mumbles some nonsense and changes the subject.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
28 July 2025
-
That’s the kind of unsupported nonsense Floridians should reject, without solid evidence to back it up.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 July 2025
Noun
-
In cities, they are often seen soaring above garbage dumps, marketplaces and riverbanks, scavenging for scraps and small prey.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
27 July 2025
-
Jorge was seen dropping off a black garbage bag near the building’s boiler room after the victim was discovered, neighbors said.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
27 July 2025
Noun
-
Use it to find and retrieve stray nuts or bolts in any crevice.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2025
-
Incorporate it into mac and cheese for a creamy, nutty complement to Cheddar and Colby Jack, grate it on a box grater to add to pizza, or serve it alongside fruit and nuts on a charcuterie board.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
North Korea has responded to previous balloon campaigns with fiery rhetoric and other shows of anger, and last year the country launched its own balloons across the border, dumping rubbish on various South Korean sites, including the presidential compound.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
-
They were were found beneath a pile of rubbish heaped just inside her front door, according to a police report released Wednesday.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
Some things are too important to leave behind — like, for instance, the notion that stupidity can be a beautiful force for good, and not just an infinite fuel supply for evil.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
30 July 2025
-
In the end, Haslam’s emphasis on American stupidity is as convincing as his absolute strictures against a moral foreign policy, which in any event isn’t delegitimized by the errors of the likes of Biden and McFaul.—
Samuel Moyn,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
Noun
-
The [Terry] Rozier trade turned out to be kind of blah ...—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
-
Living Better From blah to buoyant, these skills can improve your mood and optimism Why aim towards the ear?—
Andrea Muraskin,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
West Coast drools: H100 rental pricing is very stable in the United States, but there’s a persistent East Coast advantage.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
28 May 2025
-
The owner tried to explain his reasoning in the video, citing the temperature was too cold and pointing to the frozen drool on his face.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Balderdash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balderdash. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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