variants
or sophistical
as in specious
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Recent Examples of sophistic
The characters are treated with odd touches of realism and their sophistic arguments are stingingly psychologized.
—
Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 8 Sep. 2017
Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 8 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sophistic
Adjective
-
This argument, though frighteningly specious, represents a growing belief that A.I. will be an all-wise, all-knowing, godlike operator, one that can benevolently guide life on earth, and beyond, better than humanity ever could.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Events such as Good’s death set the stage for yet more lethal confrontations, which the administration can be trusted to defend with the same specious pretext.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This is both obvious and a bit misleading.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
By the end of his first term, The Washington Post had documented 30,573 false or misleading claims.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The move would be both economically irrational and morally obtuse.—
Ruth Jean-Marie,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
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Decisions were made by his staffers in his name that, while politically objectionable to those on the other side, were not inherently irrational.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Contrary to Arya’s point, the current volatility may be seen as risk repricing under uncertainty, rather than as an illogical or paradoxical conclusion.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Saving constitutes such a huge, key chunk of life that spending can feel illogical and wrong.—
Steve Booren,
Denver Post,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
There is a widespread but fallacious perception that India's tariffs are inordinately high.—
Mohan Kumar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Aug. 2025
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The same economists who believe in the same fallacious economic notions?—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
Adjective
-
Mid-century collective behavior theories considered social movements to be nonrational, spontaneous events occurring during moments of social and cultural breakdown.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Fourth Amendment protects people against unreasonable searches and seizures.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
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Those are clear violations of the Fourth Amendment’s safeguards against unreasonable searches and seizures, which were adopted to prevent the exercise of arbitrary government power.—
Yohuru Williams,
The Conversation,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Bainbridge knew about secrets and unreasoning shame.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Let sound political prescience but take the place of an unreasoning prejudice, and this will be done.—
Frederick Douglass,
The Atlantic,
16 Aug. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Sophistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sophistic. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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