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
  • JetKVM Smaller, cheaper and now wireless JetKVM Mini will come in two versions.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Wolk expressed confidence that J & J can continue growing through future patent expirations, which allow cheaper competition to erode sales of blockbuster drugs.
    Alexa LoMonaco,Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 17 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
  • Teams — worried about how a politically defiant Black quarterback on the roster would impact their bottom lines — over the next several seasons signed dozens of inferior quarterbacks to round out their depth charts.
    Mike Jones, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Luckily for the Hurricanes, the rest of their game on defense has held up against a pair of inferior opponents.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Previous Evil pics have been rotten on Rotten Tomatoes with critics.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
  • John Mozeliak — the interim general manager charged with repairing the rotten organization — did not take responsibility.
    Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The term, once confined to technical science papers, has gripped Silicon Valley, steered trillions of dollars in investment and fanned fears of human displacement, or worse.
    George Musser, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
  • That’s cool that people (liked it), but that’s bad ball security.
    Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Schlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/schlock. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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