as in prattle
unintelligible or meaningless talk
the baby's good-natured babble and random gurglings were cute, but not very helpful in determining what he wanted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to chatter
to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and usually unintelligibly
in such a rush to tell us the news that she just babbled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to chat
to engage in casual or rambling conversation
the little girls babbled contentedly for the whole ride home
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 babble
Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Read a book and sip tea in front of the central fireplace, swim between the indoor and outdoor sections of the glimmering pool, and soak your aching quads in the hot tubs under the evergreens and aspens while listening to the peaceful babble of Gore Creek.
—Sarah Kuta, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
Gregory Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2026
Race radio babbles away from the glove compartment, providing updates in Portuguese and English.
—Andy McGrath, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for babble
Noun
The film almost completely drops any and all scientific babble from the book in favor of character development, action sequences, and emotional gut punches.
—Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Read a book and sip tea in front of the central fireplace, swim between the indoor and outdoor sections of the glimmering pool, and soak your aching quads in the hot tubs under the evergreens and aspens while listening to the peaceful babble of Gore Creek.
—Sarah Kuta, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
But Bhatta was hypothermic and occasionally babbled gibberish.
—Gregory Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2026
Race radio babbles away from the glove compartment, providing updates in Portuguese and English.
—Andy McGrath, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for babble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for babble
Noun
-
Some of the prattle can feel like treading water, a delaying tactic until the inevitable confrontation scene.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The bizarre reality of daily life in a Southeast Asian scam compound—the tactics, the tone, the mix of cruelty and upbeat corporate prattle—is revealed at an unprecedented level of resolution in a leak of documents to WIRED from a whistleblower inside one such sprawling fraud operation.—
Andy Greenberg,
Wired News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But a chattering bird builds no nest!—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
-
Tabakis lightly strums and plucks over a glowing drone and chattering birds, offering an ecumenical introduction, a smiling welcome.—
Grayson Haver Currin,
Pitchfork,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
One early scene at a diner shows Valentina chatting with a group of immigrant men who have just crossed the border.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
-
That shift is bigger than the current conversation around copilots, chat interfaces or workflow automation.—
Prithvi Singh Shergill,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
That’s the prayerful explanation for the nonsense that spouted this week from the leaders of a football conference that hopes to grow up and be the Big Ten someday.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
Let’s see if the Pomona Unified School District, which pays thousands of dollars to support its schools’ athletic program, is going to act and stop this nonsense.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
It’s known to cause drooling, diarrhea, colic, abdominal pain, depression and even death if your dog isn’t promptly treated.—
Amy DeYoung,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
-
Surrounded by a gaggle of microphones, cameras and other recording devices, Caleb Wilson offered up a nugget that probably left fans of North Carolina’s NBA team drooling.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Yousef Miller, a member of the North County Equity and Justice Coalition, was out on Buchanan Street on Monday, talking with people who pulled over to ask what had happened to Sheron.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2026
-
On Morrison For the launch of Ohio’s year-long, state-wide celebration of Toni Morrison, Namwali Serpell flies to Columbus to talk with poet and essayist Hanif Abdurraqib.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
But when the disheveled, withdrawn ex-friend shows up in the locker room gibbering about an evil spirit, Sam is mortified, impulsively knocking to the ground the grungy-looking Mason jar that Tamira has been carrying around.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
18 Sep. 2023
-
For a while, police interest bent toward a Phud who had been warned he might be eliminated from the program, who had seemed almost exultant about the fire and gibbered gleefully about the media spotlight.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2018
Verb
-
Players will still be able to cover their mouths when conversing normally, but outlawing the act during disagreements is designed to remove plausible deniability for any player accused of making discriminatory remarks while their mouth is obscured.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
-
Modway’s luxe daybed is the statement piece that turns a patio into a paradise, and the roomy design offers a go-to spot for reading, napping, and conversing.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
Video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
Cite this Entry
“Babble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/babble. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
