as in alcohol
a distilled beverage that can make a person drunk
she blamed John Barleycorn for the breakdown of their marriage
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Recent Examples of John Barleycorn
Santa Claus had triumphed over John Barleycorn.
—
Gary Kamiya, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Dec. 2021
Gary Kamiya, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Dec. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for John Barleycorn
Noun
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Of course, the bags don’t actually hide anything; in fact, they are reserved specifically for, and definitively signal, the drinking of alcohol.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
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Brian reportedly had 187 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood while being examined after her death.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In 1919 the United States Congress passed an amendment to the Constitution prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors.—
Harvard Business Review,
Harvard Business Review,
14 Oct. 2025
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What the discount excludes is deli, meat, beer, wine, liquor and tobacco.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Cucumber water isn’t just a refreshing spa drink; it’s also packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients that can boost your health.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
17 Oct. 2025
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Behind the front counter reach-in cooler with drinks were at least 30.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Later, when Doyle comes into some mysterious bags of cash, and heads toward the mainland with a bottle of booze, a boat, and one last chance to go out in a blaze of self-immolation, Farrell manages to mix dread and adrenaline into every silent expression.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
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Raw, sweaty, and steeped in debauchery, the track chronicles a spiral of booze, heartbreak, and nights lost in a haze of resistol fumes, all layered with his signature gritty rap flow.—
Tere Aguilera,
Billboard,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Mia’s beverage program will include craft cocktails, craft beer, mezcal and tequila selections, international wines and Caribbean-style rum from Staunton and Ulcickas’s Catalina Rum Company.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Oct. 2025
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The Jamaican edition features a tropical twist with the whisky finished in casks that previously held Jamaican rum — inspired by Treasure Beach on the south coast of the island.—
Kanika Talwar,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Walking tour explores the controversies, feuds and spirits that still haunt the grounds of this river city.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
15 Oct. 2025
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The Nolet family has been perfecting the art of spirits since 1691, when the first copper still fired up in Schiedam, Holland.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“John Barleycorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/John%20Barleycorn. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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