idiot box

Definition of idiot boxnext
as in TV
an electronic device with a screen and speakers that reproduces images and sound she declared that she wouldn't have an idiot box in her home

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 idiot box Writers strove to position themselves as more cynical than the idiot box that knew itself to be an idiot box. Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025 All that, somehow, without Truman himself ever switching on the idiot box. Armond White, National Review, 2 Aug. 2023 But the idiot box has also inspired arguably his worst projects, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and The Newsroom, sanctimonious and stupefyingly self-serious accounts of the woes of content creation. Jason Bailey, Vulture, 21 Dec. 2021 All those childhood years in front of the idiot box could now be considered research — a lifetime of training, cleverly disguised as sloth. Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idiot box
Noun
  • Tran’s killing followed two other fatal shootings of Vietnamese-American men with ties to local restaurants, according to San Jose Police and CNN affiliate KGO-TV.
    Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Upgrade your dorm or bedroom entertainment setup with Vizio’s 43-inch Quantum 4K Smart TV, featuring Quantum Dot technology.
    Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • But that didn’t stop him from taping interviews on Wednesday with various Chicago television newscasts from his downtown Chicago state office while ignoring follow-up requests from the Tribune.
    Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • For decades, the federal government has limited the total reach a single television broadcaster can have across the country, a cap intended to promote competition, encourage local programming and the airing of diverse viewpoints.
    Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Idiot box.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idiot%20box. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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