CLAPTRAP Synonyms: 176 Similar and Opposite Words

claptrap 1 of 2

noun

ˈklap-ˌtrap

Definition of claptrap

as in nonsense

language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense the idea that you can get a cold from not dressing warmly is claptrap

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claptrap

2 of 2

adjective

as in mechanical

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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 claptrap

Noun

Behavioral-analysis claptrap abounds. — Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026 The show is also virtually devoid of romantic escapades, a good thing since Dumas’ novel is filled with a lot of sentimental claptrap about fighting for defenseless women’s honor or seducing virtuous maidens or going to war due to the physical beauty of a monarch. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026 This is Spielberg at his most pure and sensational, an undiluted cinematic experience that lacks any of his sentimental claptrap and steers clear of his tendency for multiple endings. — Tim Grierson, Vulture, 20 June 2025 Many Red Sox fans have had it up to here with that building-for-the-future claptrap, so much so that expectations were scary low coming into the 2024 season. — Steve Buckley, The Athletic, 31 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for claptrap

Recent Examples of Synonyms for claptrap

Noun

What Trump is serving up is precisely the kind of paternalistic nonsense that women have fought against for the past century, now applied to nation states.

— Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
The Beast in Me now joins a celebrated cohort of series with this same sneaky nonsense buried in their glowing track records, including Downton Abbey, Big Little Lies, and The White Lotus.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of nonsense

Noun

By the late 19th century, something previously seen as garbage had become the foundation of a major new industry.

— Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
Electricity is now available up to 20 hours per day, Damascus and other cities are lit up at night, garbage is being collected, and water supplies are returning to neighborhoods on a weekly basis.

— Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of garbage

Adjective

And members of these new churches were mostly not the black-dressed, hypocritical, sour-faced, monocultural figures favored by popular narrative, but often included colorful figures who were sometimes surprisingly modern in their desires.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
There is something deeply hypocritical about discovering and using the language of women’s liberation only when your own status, reputation, or income is at stake.

— Laura Jung, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of hypocritical

Noun

This comes at the expense of no movement in the wrist, but to be fair, having the lightsaber pointed in any other direction would look rubbish.

— Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Only construction waste will be accepted at the landfill such as, brush and rubbish, concrete, brick, rock, wood, paper, plastics, cardboard and roofing shingles and tiles.

— Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026

Definition of rubbish

Adjective

Somebody like Gilroy or Jeff Kober and Barry Corbin (popping up occasionally as a pair of geriatric gangsters) will come and go in situations knowingly designed to feel contrived.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
OpenAI’s method can never work, in fact, without using a very contrived equation for the force that is unlike anything that could occur in the real world.

— Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of contrived

Noun

Pairing fruits with protein or healthy fats, like nuts or cheese, can help slow digestion and reduce blood sugar spikes.

— Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 28 Sep. 2026
Your doctor may also recommend eating more iron-rich foods, such as red meat, poultry and fish, as well as legumes, leafy greens, seeds and nuts.

— Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of nuts

Adjective

There was another shot, about a meaningless void and sitcoms being the same thing.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026
Hours before the Yankees’ meaningless 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, reporters swarmed Anthony Volpe’s locker as he was seen taking grounders at third base.

— James O'Connell, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of meaningless

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“Claptrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claptrap. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of claptrap

noun

adjective

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