as in hicks
an awkward or simple person especially from a small town or the country
the bumpkin was overwhelmed by the city's confusing subway system
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Recent Examples of bumpkins
Simply put, the small-town bumpkins from North Florida who support this idea should be made to pay for it.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumpkins
Noun
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Müntzer’s teachings helped provoke the widespread uprising of the German peasants in 1525, and have served as a kind of progenitor inspiration for later communist thinkers, from Friedrich Engels to Ernst Bloch.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
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This meant people on foot—peasants, in other words.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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All those unsuspecting rubes with no idea what’s about to hit them.—
Joe Hagan,
Vanity Fair,
18 Mar. 2026
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That set-up makes Cole relatively unique among prediction markets’ headliners, many of whom are suspected of exploiting insider info to dupe rubes for short-term gains.—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Using his Hollywood makeup father’s prosthetics, Holliday transforms himself into hayseed-like Chad Powers.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
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Baby Billy’s first full-frontal scene is more a testament to Walton Goggins’s incredible hayseed bravado in the rule.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Performances and stunts are delivered by international acrobats and clowns during music and light shows.—
Abby Hamblin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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How did clowns become a protest symbol?—
Janet W. Lee,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bumpkins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumpkins. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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