1
as in butter
excessive praise
laid the blarney on thick in order to get special treatment from the waitress
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 blarney
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
The blarney is still strong here (lapsing into Irish dialect is an occupational hazard of reading him), but these characters also act.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for blarney
Noun
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
The blarney is still strong here (lapsing into Irish dialect is an occupational hazard of reading him), but these characters also act.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for blarney
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blarney
Noun
-
Almond butter is known for its rich, nutty flavor with a hint of sweetness; and its texture can range from silky to slightly gritty, depending on how long it's been ground.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Additives can include sugar, sodium, and butter.—
Amber J. Tresca,
Verywell Health,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The other side in a debate with common sense is nonsense.—
Danielle Kurtzleben,
NPR,
22 Oct. 2025
-
That kind of no-nonsense mentality cuts right through all the nonsense and puts the focus on the work.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
One of his former teachers was still there, coaxing students to line up neatly.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Landau had to coax them into it.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
25 Oct. 2025
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
-
Scammers use friendliness, flattery and false urgency to pull you in, then drain your accounts.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Imitation is the greatest form of flattery.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This recipe takes a simple pumpkin cake and turns it into a wonderfully decadent dessert with a creamy, spiced filling and whipped topping with caramel, toffee bars, and nuts.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Add nuts and seeds to your diet.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Earlier in the day, Knowles spoke with Sherri Shepherd on the Sherri show, and praised Blue Ivy for performing onstage with her mother in front of crowds of 70,000 people per night.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Nagy says Takaichi will likely praise Trump on his immigration policy, which has involved pursuing mass deportations and tightening restrictions on legal immigration.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The store has all the classics like Pez, taffy and every flavor of Jelly Belly imaginable.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The Korean taffy candy is considered good luck, specifically for the CSAT.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blarney.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blarney. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share