as in gullibility
readiness to believe the claims of others without sufficient evidence the quack pushing the phony medicine was taking advantage of the credulity of people hoping for miracle cures

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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 credulity In his absence — and the long-term absences, at various times, of Barnes, Quickley, Barrett, Poeltl, Kelly Olynyk and others — the Raptors have had to throw out some lineups that strain credulity as legitimate NBA lineups. Eric Koreen, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024 Confounding elements proliferate the picture, mostly dealing with character behaviors and situations that either strain credulity (like the Santa photo-op still running past the bar’s closing time) or lead to more questions than answers. Courtney Howard, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024 In less assured hands, the combination of genres might have backfired terribly, but director Alan Gibson shepherds the production through its various tones without ever straining credulity in a way that impedes the entertainment value. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024 But the plot strains credulity to the breaking point. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 27 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for credulity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for credulity
Noun
  • However, Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes have great belief in Bradley, who joined Liverpool from Dungannon Swifts in 2019.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 17 May 2025
  • More than 200 people have died in Lake Lanier since 1994, fueling long-standing local beliefs that the reservoir may be haunted.
    Jenna deJong, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • Is there intimidation, naivete, fear of being alone?
    EW Staff, EW.com, 24 Apr. 2025
  • On the contrary, the narrative voice mixes naivete and disbelief.
    Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • So perhaps the clearest difference between the final months of O’Neil and the early months of Pereira has been simplicity.
    Steve Madeley, New York Times, 19 May 2025
  • The simplicity of getting your feet wet with these tools means that most of your time will be spent dealing with a company's security and compliance teams.
    Jeff Catlin, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • These stats show that there’s a growing credibility crisis for AI and organizations, more than ever before, must build and deploy AI tools in ways that preserve trust and bolster their credibility, not erode it.
    Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
  • The congresswoman also blasted the poll’s credibility.
    Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 15 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Credulity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/credulity. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

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