hoodoo

noun

Definition of hoodoonext
1
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense some economists have characterized the proposal as economic hoodoo that should be hooted down

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in curse
something that brings bad luck some hoodoo must be at work—I lost both sets of house keys

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoodoo
  1. nonsense
  2. curse
  3. nuts
  4. spell
  5. garbage
  6. jinx
  7. jazz
  8. voodoo
Noun
  • Until recently, that would have sounded like absolute nonsense.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 30 June 2026
  • There weren’t meetings with executives about tone and mood and all this nonsense.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 29 June 2026
Definition of nonsense
Noun
  • That 2016 film introduced Johnson as demigod Maui alongside Auli’i Cravalho as the titular girl with exceptional navigation skills, with the pair teaming up to stop a curse from targeting her island.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 11 July 2026
  • Everything the man is touching nowadays turns into gold for him and rot for the rest of us, a curse any smart person would avoid.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of curse
Noun
  • California is significant because the state supplies nearly half of the vegetables and more than three-quarters of the fruits and nuts eaten in the United States.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
  • Cashews and walnuts also contribute, alongside brazil nuts and pine nuts.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 9, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of nuts
Noun
  • The agency compared the heat wave’s severity to that of August 2003, when a 16-day hot spell caused 70,000 deaths across Europe.
    — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 July 2026
  • Onana was forced off during Belgium’s round-of-16 win over the USMNT and is now set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of spell
Noun
  • Building a new garbage incinerator plant now would cost Miami-Dade County $3 billion under a private development deal that’s facing criticism by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, according to a recent memo.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
  • The notice of violation was issued on July 12, after the agency received more than 40 public complaints of rotten, sour, garbage-type odors in the area.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of garbage
Noun
  • The Samba Nation have an opportunity to break that jinx today.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 5 July 2026
  • McTominay has also been in exceptional form for the Scottish national team during the recent qualifying cycle, and his performance will be crucial if Scotland is going to break the 72-year-long jinx of never having advanced to the knockout stage of a World Cup.
    — Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 June 2026
Definition of jinx
Noun
  • From the Black Jazz [Records] label comes this gem that reminds me of Rubba Dub jazz, Jazz of the African Americans that yearn for their roots in Africa through a western form of blues called jazz.
    — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 17 July 2026
  • Herbie Hancock, Dee Dee Bridgewater and a host of the world’s greatest jazz musicians participated in the program at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, where an incredibly diverse crowd of thousands reverberated with collective energy and joy.
    — Bija Bennett, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of jazz
Noun
  • Morgan responded with a slap and brush off of the voodoo.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2026
  • Momsen won't answer if she's ever owned a voodoo doll.
    — Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 26 June 2026
Definition of voodoo
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.

Browse Nearby Words

hoodlums
hoodoo
hoodoos
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Cite this Entry

“Hoodoo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoodoo. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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