1
as in goose
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
only a turkey would think it's a good idea to go for a jog when the weather drops below zero
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person
you turkey, that wasn't my boyfriend—it was my brother!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disaster
something that has failed
his business venture ended up being a turkey, and he lost quite a bit of money on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 turkey
The back end of Navy’s schedule is demanding with a trip to South Bend, a visit from USF, Thanksgiving turkey in Memphis, and the traditional clash with Army, which will be in Baltimore for the first time since 2016.
—
Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Spurs are used to grapple with other turkeys over breeding rights.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 10 July 2025
Opened by chef Alisa Reynolds in 2013, the restaurant became a neighborhood favorite thanks to a Southern comfort menu that’s informed by Reynolds’ L.A. upbringing, including turkey meatloaf, grit fries and BLT sandwiches with fried green tomatoes.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
The turkey bacon may be contaminated with Listeria.
—Jenna Anderson, Health, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for turkey
Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Spurs are used to grapple with other turkeys over breeding rights.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 10 July 2025
Opened by chef Alisa Reynolds in 2013, the restaurant became a neighborhood favorite thanks to a Southern comfort menu that’s informed by Reynolds’ L.A. upbringing, including turkey meatloaf, grit fries and BLT sandwiches with fried green tomatoes.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
The turkey bacon may be contaminated with Listeria.
—Jenna Anderson, Health, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for turkey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turkey
Noun
-
This giant white goose plush is designed for comfort and fun.—
Nora Colomer
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
One member of the goose family had been left behind: a single egg.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The assessment will inform a potential request by Gov. Tony Evers for a presidential disaster declaration, which would unlock federal aid.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Federal and state agencies have said little on whether immigration enforcement would be suspended in a disaster.—
Gabriela Aoun Angueira,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Some might say the goal of a nuclear-free world is a fool’s errand.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Trying to avoid every dip and pullback is a fool’s errand.—
Frank Holmes,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
They've often been viewed as criminals, or their deportations as a failure.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Humans and other animals can also contract it, with untreated cases leading to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, trouble breathing, and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
So, the parallel thing that I’ve been frustrated by recently is not just calling Trump stupid, but calling Trump voters stupid.—
Drew Broussard
May 22,
Literary Hub,
22 May 2025
-
Sometimes too stupid is actually smartski but sometimes is just stupid stupid.—
Caroline Downey,
National Review,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
But not as a cartoon metal maniac chomping on bat flesh.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
23 July 2025
-
Imagine if zombies were just humans who their intellect, but are also homicidal maniacs.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
Each year, fire safety officials warn of the dangers of fireworks and stage demonstrations of dummies that catch fire and watermelons that explode.—
Linda Trischitta,
Sun-Sentinel.com,
10 July 2017
-
At NASA Langley's Landing and Impact Research Facility, ten crash test dummies were buckled into a section of airplane fuselage and dropped from the sky.—
Chris Clarke,
Popular Mechanics,
6 July 2017
Noun
-
Born on July 22, 1938, in Stepney, London, Stamp grew up in the shadow of World War II’s Blitz, dodging bombs and dreaming of the silver screen.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Apa and Cline are both cracking up now as Apa drops one more bomb.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Turkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turkey. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share