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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of claptrap
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
Mostly Rivas gets rid of distracting racist, sexist or classist claptrap in the script, annoyances that have nothing to do with its plot.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for claptrap
Adjective
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
Mostly Rivas gets rid of distracting racist, sexist or classist claptrap in the script, annoyances that have nothing to do with its plot.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for claptrap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claptrap
Noun
-
Checkmate has done lots of covert ops spy nonsense in comics throughout the years, and notable works with Batman on occasion.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The new Tron sequel steps outside of cyberspace but won’t leave the sci-fi nonsense behind.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Driving through deep water can also negatively affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Unlike mechanical models, electronic door handles rely on sensors and electricity and may fail during a fire or power outage.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Local services like garbage pickup and libraries may close in observance of the holiday as well.—
Addy Bink,
The Hill,
12 Oct. 2025
-
As those flies landed, so did Stop Sale Orders on all that food that got thrown in the garbage.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
However, his latest mistake is very hypocritical and raises some questions about double standards in his coaching.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Most of these hypocritical legislators are near the completion of their involvement in the Capitol thanks to term limits.—
John Moorlach,
Oc Register,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Some nuts and seeds are higher in magnesium than others and are smart choices for those looking to boost their intake.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
8 Oct. 2025
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Instead of saturated fat, the current guidelines encourage eating foods that are high in unsaturated fat, including nuts, avocados and olive oil, which are linked to lower cardiovascular risk.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This was due to the incredible amount of rubbish that had been left to pile up inside.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
-
This is absolute rubbish, calculated to pour gasoline on the growing divide between conservatives and progressives.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Even if your beat wasn’t geopolitics or the economic structure behind deep-sea tourism, you were supposed to drop everything and help perpetuate the flood, or find a way to work it into your coverage, however contrived.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
8 Oct. 2025
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Even if parts of the individual storylines still come across as contrived or at least dramatically convenient, the ending reminds and underlines that these things, and things far worse, happened in Israel on October 7, 2023.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
More than anything, even amid the silliness and absurdities of the medical emergencies, the show’s feel-good moments, which involve people being saved and others working together, depict a deep humanity.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
10 Oct. 2025
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While the slower speed and emphasis on physics, from the long-distance drop of bullet trajectories to the breakable foundations of structures, are a huge part of Battlefield’s DNA, there’s also just an inherent silliness to some of the tactics that stir joy.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Claptrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claptrap. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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