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
There is no simplistic formula.
—
Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 6 Mar. 2026
Our rhetoric, by contrast, hinged on hope and outrage, in terms that sometimes felt a bit nebulous or simplistic to me.
—Robert Moor, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
All eyes on Iran's Revolutionary Guard Rosen said the idea of affecting regime change in Iran by killing the top leaders may be simplistic.
—Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
The new ‘Burbs, expanded to eight episodes by creator Celeste Hughey, seems at first to be a stale, simplistic fusion of its namesake and the more recent wave of racially attuned social thrillers popularized by Get Out director Jordan Peele.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for simplistic
Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 6 Mar. 2026
Our rhetoric, by contrast, hinged on hope and outrage, in terms that sometimes felt a bit nebulous or simplistic to me.
—Robert Moor, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
All eyes on Iran's Revolutionary Guard Rosen said the idea of affecting regime change in Iran by killing the top leaders may be simplistic.
—Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
The new ‘Burbs, expanded to eight episodes by creator Celeste Hughey, seems at first to be a stale, simplistic fusion of its namesake and the more recent wave of racially attuned social thrillers popularized by Get Out director Jordan Peele.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for simplistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for simplistic
Adjective
-
All the while, its apparent north star is the idea that its subjects are, first and foremost, children, a fact of which we’re reminded through their playful, often naïve interactions.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Sherman’s naïve insistence that the UN Charter, as a treaty obligation, supersedes anything the General Assembly or Security Council may do is a tragic joke.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Engineers have developed a simple strategy to help robots remain stable while repairing satellites in orbit by using a second robotic arm to counterbalance movements.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Don’t be afraid to suggest budget caps for group plans, because everyone relaxes when guidelines are simple and visible.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This sort of behavior is childish and unsophisticated.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
-
And Blackstone is not an unsophisticated hotel owner.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Simplistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/simplistic. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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