as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
stories about the inn being haunted are just a lot of hooey
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 hooey
The old line about the 28 gauge having a square load is hooey.
—
Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, 11 Dec. 2019
But as comforting as a toddy may be, the notion of a dose of booze as a cold cure has always struck me as a load of hooey.
—M. Carrie Allan, charlotteobserver, 23 Jan. 2018
The scene where Skerrett has a highland fling with a blond, bearded hunk is more than a wee bit full of hooey.
—David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Jan. 2018
There was a whole lot of narrative hooey to explain the theme, which mostly had to do with caterpillars becoming butterflies, girls becoming women, et cetera.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2017
Contrary to the previous load of hooey dispensed by Junior and the first family, this dude was not a translator.
—Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 18 July 2017
John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, and not the most substantial waffle in the breakfast buffet, has been particularly energetic in slinging this hooey at the American people.
—Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 7 July 2017
And that 38 percent believes accusations that Trump's campaign conspired with Russian hackers and spies to influence the election's outcome -- and the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the election -- are nothing but hooey.
—Douglas Perry, OregonLive.com, 15 June 2017
Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, 11 Dec. 2019
But as comforting as a toddy may be, the notion of a dose of booze as a cold cure has always struck me as a load of hooey.
—M. Carrie Allan, charlotteobserver, 23 Jan. 2018
The scene where Skerrett has a highland fling with a blond, bearded hunk is more than a wee bit full of hooey.
—David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Jan. 2018
There was a whole lot of narrative hooey to explain the theme, which mostly had to do with caterpillars becoming butterflies, girls becoming women, et cetera.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2017
Contrary to the previous load of hooey dispensed by Junior and the first family, this dude was not a translator.
—Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 18 July 2017
John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, and not the most substantial waffle in the breakfast buffet, has been particularly energetic in slinging this hooey at the American people.
—Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 7 July 2017
And that 38 percent believes accusations that Trump's campaign conspired with Russian hackers and spies to influence the election's outcome -- and the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the election -- are nothing but hooey.
—Douglas Perry, OregonLive.com, 15 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooey
Noun
-
That's nonsense… and anyone who's been a part of these productions knows that IN FACT the opposite is true.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
9 July 2025
-
The song was essentially one long joke about animal noises, and once the joke wore off, what remained was an insanely repetitive chorus of nonsense.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
Use it to find and retrieve stray nuts or bolts in any crevice.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2025
-
Vegetables like broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, kale and asparagus are also included in most low-carb diets—as are eggs, cheese, Greek yogurt and nuts like walnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts and pistachios.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Another item that is often forgotten is garbage bags for collecting waste along the way, especially when passing through remote areas without public bins.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
-
The Bureau of Rodent Control has been increasing collaboration with the Bureau of Sanitation to replace faulty garbage carts, which rats can exploit to obtain more food.—
William Tong,
Chicago Tribune,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
The [Terry] Rozier trade turned out to be kind of blah ...—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
-
Living Better From blah to buoyant, these skills can improve your mood and optimism Why aim towards the ear?—
Andrea Muraskin,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
North Korea has responded to previous balloon campaigns with fiery rhetoric and other shows of anger, and last year the country launched its own balloons across the border, dumping rubbish on various South Korean sites, including the presidential compound.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
-
They were were found beneath a pile of rubbish heaped just inside her front door, according to a police report released Wednesday.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
Start with the dragon and its bizarre dog-like face, exaggerated fangs and dripping drool.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 May 2025
-
Depp pushes over a cabinet with dishes, rips open her dress and makes a most unholy noise as her eyeballs go up in their sockets, tongue juts out and globs of drool pour from her mouth.—
Brian Truitt,
USA TODAY,
24 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Meanwhile, doubling down on stupidity, the Democrats attacked Trump for eliminating—or at least setting back—Iran’s capacity to complete construction and delivery of nuclear bombs.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
4 July 2025
-
That’s either extreme confidence or extraordinary stupidity, or some combination.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
Regardless, concerns that the series’ delay was due to quality problems have proved to be viral poppycock.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
27 June 2025
-
This, of course, is absolute poppycock — Diamond’s story is well-known around the world and has been for some time.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hooey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooey. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share