as in naive
lacking in sophistication
a simplistic belief in claims of the product's effectiveness simplistic thinking
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Recent Examples of simplistic
The truth about the Palestinian movement is of course far more complex, but the simplistic narrative has gotten a boost from Western populists, including those whose own ranks include openly anti-Semitic factions.
—
Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025
Charli XCX‘s Brat, the winner of best recording package last year, went viral for its distinctive bright green hue and simplistic typeface, which put all the attention on the title and turned it into a cultural moment that everyone wanted to identify with.
—Lina Lecaro, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
Instead, Reeves became Estragon, the more simplistic and long-suffering of the duo, while Winter tackled Vladimir, the more commanding and verbose character.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
Its writing is simplistic at times, and the characters are loud and even grating.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for simplistic
Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025
Charli XCX‘s Brat, the winner of best recording package last year, went viral for its distinctive bright green hue and simplistic typeface, which put all the attention on the title and turned it into a cultural moment that everyone wanted to identify with.
—Lina Lecaro, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
Instead, Reeves became Estragon, the more simplistic and long-suffering of the duo, while Winter tackled Vladimir, the more commanding and verbose character.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
Its writing is simplistic at times, and the characters are loud and even grating.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for simplistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for simplistic
Adjective
-
Trump isn’t naive and knows that Netanyahu has incentives to preserve electoral support by remaining a wartime leader.—
Faisal J. Abbas,
semafor.com,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Gabber’s got this naive brutality to it.—
Alma Rota,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Monochromatic Raven loves to stick to a simple, serene palette by combining a variety of white tulips with different bloom times.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Oct. 2025
-
This Madewell version channels that effortless, neutral polish Kitts described—simple, structured, and endlessly versatile.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Cute, childish characters in furry, animal suits and accessories seem to be a common theme for blind boxes.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Any version of art for art’s sake has always seemed a little childish to me, a bit of adolescent posturing (the phrase was apparently especially beloved by members of the 19th century Aesthetic Movement, one of the high points of a certain kind of brattiness).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
For Candy, getting to play the unsophisticated traveling salesman, a big man like himself, gave him an opportunity to showcase both his flair for broad comedy and, for the first time onscreen, his innate vulnerability.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
-
And there’s been this story that retail investors are unsophisticated.—
Fortune Editors,
Fortune,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Simplistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/simplistic. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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