variants
or buncombe
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
a cinematic depiction of the Middle Ages that was derided as pure bunkum by historians
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Recent Examples of bunkum
Rubbish, bunkum, romanticised bullcrap, fraud, nonsense, baloney.
—
George Caulkin, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2025
Putting aside the junk peddling, how much of Madoff’s and Trump’s bunkum do they themselves (for Madoff, did) believe to be true?
—Richard Behar, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
As generative AI is integrated into common search engines and voters converse with chatbots, people seeking basic information about elections have at times been met with misinformation, pure bunkum, or links to fringe websites.
—Mekela Panditharatne, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
And in the ultimate exemplification of how an endless stream of content begets pernicious bunkum, John McPhail’s Dear David is arguably the most brainless release of the year.
—Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 5 Dec. 2023
Nevertheless, anti-vaccine bunkum has clearly metastasized to our furry companions.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 30 Aug. 2023
Brightly lit and filled to their Botox gills with aspirational bunkum, the shows require little by way of mental engagement.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 12 July 2023
Behind the image was a fair bit of bunkum.
—James Gleick, The New York Review of Books, 13 Apr. 2021
The Telegraph's article immediately drew sharp responses from other journalists, who dismissed the report as bunkum.
—Smriti Rao, Discover Magazine, 15 Mar. 2010
George Caulkin, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2025
Putting aside the junk peddling, how much of Madoff’s and Trump’s bunkum do they themselves (for Madoff, did) believe to be true?
—Richard Behar, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
As generative AI is integrated into common search engines and voters converse with chatbots, people seeking basic information about elections have at times been met with misinformation, pure bunkum, or links to fringe websites.
—Mekela Panditharatne, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
And in the ultimate exemplification of how an endless stream of content begets pernicious bunkum, John McPhail’s Dear David is arguably the most brainless release of the year.
—Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 5 Dec. 2023
Nevertheless, anti-vaccine bunkum has clearly metastasized to our furry companions.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 30 Aug. 2023
Brightly lit and filled to their Botox gills with aspirational bunkum, the shows require little by way of mental engagement.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 12 July 2023
Behind the image was a fair bit of bunkum.
—James Gleick, The New York Review of Books, 13 Apr. 2021
The Telegraph's article immediately drew sharp responses from other journalists, who dismissed the report as bunkum.
—Smriti Rao, Discover Magazine, 15 Mar. 2010
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bunkum
Noun
-
That rule is nonsense — especially with two applicants who pretty clearly spend most of their time in Tallahassee, and two who work in Lakeland.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Jan. 2026
-
But the residency rule is nonsense.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Piles of human scraps offer a bottomless buffet to wildlife, and to access that bounty, animals need to be bold enough to rummage through human rubbish but not so bold as to become a threat to people.—
Marina Wang,
Scientific American,
14 Nov. 2025
-
Helga once wrestled down a drunk fisherman in the Café, a man of above-average size, and then threw him out like a piece of rubbish; Jens thus transfers most of his weight automatically to her; who is this kid, by the way?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Installed on the former garbage dump bounded by Sunset, Lewis, Western and Glen Flora avenues, there are now 20,000 solar panels.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Rescuers retrieved eight people alive and were searching for the missing still trapped after a huge mound of garbage and debris collapsed on them in the village of Binaliw in Cebu city, police said.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The next slide showed a mouthwatering array of meats, cheeses, crudite and nuts set for snacking on, along with bottles of Haack's champagne line, Clé Cachée, chilling behind an array of glasses.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
-
For instance, nuts, seeds, nut butters, and chocolate are more prone to oxidation, which can lead to rancid flavors or a gritty texture.—
Bridget Shirvell,
Martha Stewart,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
By this point in the MonsterVerse, though, the lore and silliness is verging on becoming an outright bug rather than a feature, and even the kaiju action seems oddly devoid of scale or stakes — dumb fun, but the dumb-to-fun ratios are off.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The show combines the world-building vibes of BoJack Horseman with the silliness of Bob’s Burgers, and tops the whole thing off with the musical stylings of a Crazy Ex-Girlfriend — all wrapped in family-friendly packaging.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
So please excuse my ignorance and stupidity here, but.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
17 Dec. 2025
-
That’s how stupidity often is—causing problems, but also presenting opportunities.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
In other words, our complexion is looking pallid, our skin is dry, and our overall appearance is just a little blah at the moment.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Instead of layers upon layers of neutral greige tones that simply feel blah, embrace contrast, rich tones, surfaces with a patina, and items that tell a story.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bunkum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bunkum. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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