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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There will be a silent auction and live auction along with appetizers, drinks and live music.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
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Order a classic espresso drink, latte, or specialty brew and pair it with a breakfast sandwich or pastry.—
Kristen Tribe,
Southern Living,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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America's River Roots Festival is taking over the Ohio River this weekend with boats, music, food and booze.—
Rasputin Todd,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Special drinks include the Siesta (Altos Blanco, Campari and lime and grapefruit juice); the Basil Daiquiri (rum, St Germain, chartreuse, lime and basil); the Tropical Old Fashioned (Brugal 1888, banana, pineapple, bitters and coconut sugar); and the French 75 (cognac, lemon and champagne).—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Oct. 2025
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This rum scent is one of their best-sellers—androgynous, herbal, crisp.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
8 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 17 Oct. 2025.
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