hokum

noun

ˈhō-kəm How to pronounce hokum (audio)
Definition of hokumnext
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense a movie about the disaster that's pure Hollywood hokum

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 hokum What finally holds all the hokum together is Pitt. — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 25 June 2025 Is this common household spice really an effective tool in the garden, or is this just influencer hokum? — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 June 2025 From the foothills of the Berkshires arises a venerable strain of American madness, the poetry of hokum—the old weird America of medicine shows and travelling circuses and carnivals. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025 In past case studies of argyria, a common source is hokum therapies promoted by naturopaths and their ilk. — Ars Technica, 10 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hokum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hokum
  1. nonsense
  2. garbage
  3. nuts
  4. silliness
  5. rubbish
  6. blah
  7. stupidity
Noun
  • Nonmaterialism was the sort of wishful nonsense preached by those who weren’t in any real danger of going hungry.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Personally, this idea that the woke nonsense is just an outmoded relic of the past is ridiculous.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of nonsense
Noun
  • Marcy had her hair tied up with a bow made from nylon cord and was bent over a fold-up kitchen counter rearranging wet garbage.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Polls show Farage is still likely to win, but that Count Binface — a spoof candidate who wears a garbage pail on his head — may get around 20-percent of the vote.
    — Lauren Frayer, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of garbage
Noun
  • Eating plenty of nutrient-rich foods like nuts, berries, fish and leafy greens can lower inflammation.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Again, that doesn’t really bother me because super-heavy energy recuperation drives me nuts, but there’s no practical reason the vehicle simply can’t retain that choice.
    — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of nuts
Noun
  • Yet despite this unease, they are also shown with occasional silliness and wit, as well as an unexpected strength to their paradoxically porcelain-like bodies.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The play’s Bohemian rhapsody is as full of light and life and silliness as its time in Sicilia is wrenching.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of silliness
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
Noun
  • That’s where all the problems come from—the shrinkage, the color, blah, blah, blah.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Frankly, most ballet flats are a bit too blah for this look and would throw off the proportions.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 23 July 2026
Definition of blah
Noun
  • The latest contestant in this recurring game of fiscal stupidity is Miami.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
  • That’s only made worse by the fact that it’s treated as some kind of grand betrayal rather than an impulsive act of youthful stupidity that will make for a good story one day.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 July 2026
Definition of stupidity

Browse Nearby Words

hokeypokey
hokum
hold
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Cite this Entry

“Hokum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hokum. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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