variants or schlocky also shlock or shlocky
Definition of schlocknext

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 schlock Besson oversees another schlocky genre flick with a few bravura fight scenes but not much else going for it. Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026 And talk about schlock, surely there was something if not exactly schlocky then definitely sensationalist about Marcia’s way of eviscerating an artist or an event. Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026 Bosses recently told Deadline that microdrama has moved well beyond cheap, schlocky imitations of traditional TV and film. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 July 2026 Well, people have always written schlocky or formulaic books. Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 10 June 2026 Yet despite their cultural staying power, power ballads have historically received little scholarly attention, in part because they are often dismissed as schlocky and banal. Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 22 May 2026 Quentin Tarantino’s outrageous revisionist Western is wildly over-the-top, combining the director’s penchant for gratuitous violence and sparkling dialogue with a story that’s pleasingly labyrinthine but nothing if not schlocky. Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026 But that shift is still recent, and decades of cultural baggage — from sexist slasher stereotypes to schlocky late-night programming — continue to shape perception. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Mar. 2026 The film finally returns to Dracula’s castle, where four stone gargoyles come to life, and where there is bad swordplay, schlocky cannon fire, and a fortune-cookie theological lecture from Waltz’s Priest. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for schlock
Adjective
  • But that does not mean residents will suddenly see a cheaper water bill.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • His latest book, Three Tenses, a well as his Pulitzer Prize finalist Same Bed Different Dreams, are complex without resorting to gimmicks or cheap obfuscation that implies depth.
    James Folta, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • As a rookie, the Pats lost plenty, but that was with a terrible roster around him.
    Chad Graff, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The company reported another terrible quarter and cut its full-year outlook for the second time in three months.
    Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The following season, Chelsea topped their Champions League group, but poor Premier League form saw Mourinho sacked in mid-December.
    Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Many are in poor shape, with thin, uninsulated walls, leaky windows, old or broken swamp coolers and electrical systems that can't always handle air conditioners.
    Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 7 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Far from inferior, these trees, which can look like pines with long droopy needles and reddish-orange flowers, host a large diversity of bugs beyond Swiftiephylys, creating a popular hangout for the six-legged beasts.
    Brad Balukjian, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Gwyn’s, however, who Richard considers to be his inferior, has jettisoned into success and is in the running for a huge literary prize.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Being pelted on the world’s stage with the modern equivalent of rotten tomatoes – memes and scathing online posts – hasn't kept the dancer, born Rachael Gunn, from laughing.
    Erin Jensen, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • His last Netflix partnership, the miniseries Zero Day, put up rotten scores.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Jeffrey Katzenberg, then a studio executive at Paramount Pictures, hand-picked the Happy Days star for the job, but at the time, Winkler had a bad feeling about accepting it.
    Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • How many of us make things worse More seasoned Internet users—a fair number who read this site—are quick to dismiss the attack.
    Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Schlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/schlock. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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