1
as in flattery
excessive praise
laid the blarney on thick in order to get special treatment from the waitress
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
his excuse was his usual blarney about how he'd love to help out but he was just so darned busy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to coax
to get (someone) to do something by gentle urging, special attention, or flattery
attendants at the nursing home sometimes have to blarney the patients to take their medicine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to honey
to praise too much
an eager, young assistant who blarneys the boss shamelessly
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blarney
Clay Risen, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2022
After years of listening to Boris Johnson’s blarney, many Britons have had their fill, at least for now, of hot air cleverly channelled.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2022
This might come as a surprise given the outsized and blarney-filled headlines on social media to the contrary.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 4 June 2022
Menu: soda bread with Irish whiskey butter and fried cabbage and rashers; pork bangers and Irish colcannon with red onion gravy and blarney stones and Irish bananas.
—Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 9 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for blarney
Noun
To many would-be publishers, the title sounded like a bunch of blarney — even in the early 1990s, many people still considered Ireland a conservative backwater and a cultural appendage to Britain.
—Clay Risen, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2022
After years of listening to Boris Johnson’s blarney, many Britons have had their fill, at least for now, of hot air cleverly channelled.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2022
This might come as a surprise given the outsized and blarney-filled headlines on social media to the contrary.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 4 June 2022
Menu: soda bread with Irish whiskey butter and fried cabbage and rashers; pork bangers and Irish colcannon with red onion gravy and blarney stones and Irish bananas.
—Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 9 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for blarney
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blarney
Noun
-
Hadley learned that Vintilla had been working as a restaurant hostess in London when Andrew connected with her on Instagram and began bombarding her with flattery.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
Infantino then unleashed a hat trick of over-the-top flattery.—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
4 June 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
-
The heat underneath had slowly coaxed the juices from the bird.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Will Klein coaxed a groundout from rookie Tommy Troy to end the threat.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Her voice, languid and honeyed, can glide over sensual R&B, bouncing reggaetón, shimmering pop or nostalgic jazz.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Those harmonies — simultaneously honeyed and gravelly, providing just enough support without overshadowing, yet so powerful and full of potential — echoes Whitten.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
2 July 2024
Noun
-
Quince's tees earn high praise for their soft texture and durability.—
Tanya Sharma,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
-
Still, Kind has nothing but praise for Reiser and Hunt.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
The key is building meals around high-fiber foods like beans, lentils, whole grains, berries, seeds, vegetables and nuts.—
Ryan Brennan
June 8,
Kansas City Star,
8 June 2026
-
The company's specialty nuts -- cashews, confections and snack mixes -- follow the same quality standards as its world famous Virginia Peanuts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The responder then bends down to gently stroke the bird before getting another idea.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
-
Mihyia Davis stroked the next pitch off Slimp’s glove in left for a double and Williams moved to third.—
Tim Willert,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
His father eventually joined him to receive the crowd’s adulation.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
In a way that no championship trophy ever could, Kirby Smart has an opportunity to take action that would bring him undying respect and adulation.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blarney.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blarney. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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