as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
a product with a warning label that even the most boneheaded consumer should be able to understand
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Recent Examples of boneheaded
As anyone who watches nineties-era romantic comedies knows, there’s a fine line between charming overtures and boneheaded actions that result in deep psychological wounds.
—
Frederick Dreier, Outside, 11 Feb. 2026
Defensively, he has been known for making exceptional plays but also making boneheaded mistakes.
—Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Why sane people don’t run for office, a boneheaded move from an Arizona lawmaker and fallout from a Minnesota shooting.
—Joanna Allhands, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
But despite the intelligence upgrade, some have spotted the AI model still making boneheaded mistakes.
—PC Magazine, 8 Aug. 2025
Unfortunately for Leslie, Gary is terrible at poker, and his boneheaded bet during the relationship test leaves them in the bottom three.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Frederick Dreier, Outside, 11 Feb. 2026
Defensively, he has been known for making exceptional plays but also making boneheaded mistakes.
—Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Why sane people don’t run for office, a boneheaded move from an Arizona lawmaker and fallout from a Minnesota shooting.
—Joanna Allhands, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
But despite the intelligence upgrade, some have spotted the AI model still making boneheaded mistakes.
—PC Magazine, 8 Aug. 2025
Unfortunately for Leslie, Gary is terrible at poker, and his boneheaded bet during the relationship test leaves them in the bottom three.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boneheaded
Adjective
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Telling the story this way elides, smooths over, and underestimates the role of circumstance and dumb luck.—
Charles Yu,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2026
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Advertisement This strategy was tried in the dumb-bomb era.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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End these stupid, senseless wars.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
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Most of the films that came after are ridiculous and stupid.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Experiencing that life cycle of knowing where my food comes from and watching my uncles do the butchering and then eating it the same day through slow roasting was really impactful for me as a kid.—
Claire Salinda,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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Perhaps both movements could have animated each other; perhaps the subsequent fight for women’s suffrage would have been less sporadic and slow.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Engineers have developed a simple strategy to help robots remain stable while repairing satellites in orbit by using a second robotic arm to counterbalance movements.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
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Don’t be afraid to suggest budget caps for group plans, because everyone relaxes when guidelines are simple and visible.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Looking for a thicker platform?—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
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His house sits across from what used to be a thick copse of woods.—
Liam Rappleye,
Freep.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Instead of simply challenging the more foolish of those woke policies, our federal and state governments seem hell bent on obliterating any activity that even hints of DEI.—
Maurice O'Sullivan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Mar. 2026
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This kind of talk is also politically foolish and risks alienating the many Americans who already distrust this war.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boneheaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boneheaded. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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