as in food
something that maintains or stimulates the intellect
we have reached a cultural low if reality television is regarded as pabulum for the masses
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Recent Examples of pabulum
On their face, Grok’s responses seem at least as coherent as some of the bland crisis-management pabulum that comes from prominent figures facing their own controversies.
—
Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 2 Jan. 2026
This was culture as interchangeable primetime pabulum; three minutes apiece for the acts to impress the new judges and boost sales.
—Mike McCahill, Variety, 8 May 2023
Twitter account, which spouted pabulum about the decency of the human spirit, became extremely popular.
—New York Times, 17 Nov. 2021
Try to imagine Britain’s prime minister rallying his nation to fight the Nazi war machine armed with this progressive pabulum.
—Joseph Loconte, National Review, 9 Sep. 2020
His onscreen counterpart in the film adaptation of this story, Memoir of a Murderer, trades in this complexity for more standard antihero pabulum (his only desire is to keep Eunhui safe).
—Alana Mohamed, The Atlantic, 11 June 2019
The pabulum that passes for most reviews is an insult to the intelligence of most readers.
—Christian Lorentzen, Harper's magazine, 10 Apr. 2019
They are just being fed this pabulum of leftist ideology.
—Fox News, 25 Apr. 2018
Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 2 Jan. 2026
This was culture as interchangeable primetime pabulum; three minutes apiece for the acts to impress the new judges and boost sales.
—Mike McCahill, Variety, 8 May 2023
Twitter account, which spouted pabulum about the decency of the human spirit, became extremely popular.
—New York Times, 17 Nov. 2021
Try to imagine Britain’s prime minister rallying his nation to fight the Nazi war machine armed with this progressive pabulum.
—Joseph Loconte, National Review, 9 Sep. 2020
His onscreen counterpart in the film adaptation of this story, Memoir of a Murderer, trades in this complexity for more standard antihero pabulum (his only desire is to keep Eunhui safe).
—Alana Mohamed, The Atlantic, 11 June 2019
The pabulum that passes for most reviews is an insult to the intelligence of most readers.
—Christian Lorentzen, Harper's magazine, 10 Apr. 2019
They are just being fed this pabulum of leftist ideology.
—Fox News, 25 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pabulum
Noun
-
The arsenic levels in food are measured in parts per billion (ppb).—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The gusts progressively grew stronger, knocking over planters and forcing food vendors to close up shop early, until the festival itself was paused and performers were ushered offstage.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On land rooted in 1891, a new story is growing - one of healing, heritage and radical nourishment.—
Erica Olsen,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
This approach feels more like nourishment than supplementation and creates a balanced support system for a muscle-building routine.—
William Jones,
Ascend Agency,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pabulum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pabulum. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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