as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
the novel's elaborate theory detailing a supposed 2,000-year-old conspiracy is mostly tiresome twaddle
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Recent Examples of twaddle
The public is simply not buying it and is looking for an alternative.
Enough of the twaddle about how voting Democratic is voting to save democracy.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2024
Perhaps News Nation is trying to assume the mantle of Fox News as a dispenser of right-wing twaddle, or (to be more charitable) of CNN as a sober neutral voice.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2023
On the other end are people like Yann LeCun, who reject such scenarios as sci-fi twaddle.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 June 2023
Brett calls Hal to trade pretentious literary references, chit-chat about the business of books and other time-sucking twaddle.
—oregonlive, 16 May 2023
No, not the usual twaddle about manipulative crowd-pleasers like cats, dogs, ferrets or budgies, which are programmed to be cute, but stories like the recent one in the Journal about goats that are helping to fight fires in rural Australia by gobbling up potential tinder.
—Joe Queenan, WSJ, 20 Jan. 2022
Much of the research and the dissemination of this twaddle is funded by the Gates Foundation, which last year spent $642 million for its U.S. program, including Pathways and other initiatives that focus on eliminating white supremacy from math.
—Kenin M. Spivak, National Review, 16 Sep. 2021
Before long, Limbaugh had attracted an audience of 20 million a day by spewing wildly racist, xenophobic and sexist bile and wildly untrue twaddle about everything from climate to tobacco to the number of murders committed by Bill and Hillary Clinton.
—Al Franken, Star Tribune, 11 Nov. 2020
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2024
Perhaps News Nation is trying to assume the mantle of Fox News as a dispenser of right-wing twaddle, or (to be more charitable) of CNN as a sober neutral voice.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2023
On the other end are people like Yann LeCun, who reject such scenarios as sci-fi twaddle.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 June 2023
Brett calls Hal to trade pretentious literary references, chit-chat about the business of books and other time-sucking twaddle.
—oregonlive, 16 May 2023
No, not the usual twaddle about manipulative crowd-pleasers like cats, dogs, ferrets or budgies, which are programmed to be cute, but stories like the recent one in the Journal about goats that are helping to fight fires in rural Australia by gobbling up potential tinder.
—Joe Queenan, WSJ, 20 Jan. 2022
Much of the research and the dissemination of this twaddle is funded by the Gates Foundation, which last year spent $642 million for its U.S. program, including Pathways and other initiatives that focus on eliminating white supremacy from math.
—Kenin M. Spivak, National Review, 16 Sep. 2021
Before long, Limbaugh had attracted an audience of 20 million a day by spewing wildly racist, xenophobic and sexist bile and wildly untrue twaddle about everything from climate to tobacco to the number of murders committed by Bill and Hillary Clinton.
—Al Franken, Star Tribune, 11 Nov. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for twaddle
Noun
-
That rule is nonsense — especially with two applicants who pretty clearly spend most of their time in Tallahassee, and two who work in Lakeland.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Jan. 2026
-
But the residency rule is nonsense.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Installed on the former garbage dump bounded by Sunset, Lewis, Western and Glen Flora avenues, there are now 20,000 solar panels.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Rescuers retrieved eight people alive and were searching for the missing still trapped after a huge mound of garbage and debris collapsed on them in the village of Binaliw in Cebu city, police said.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Piles of human scraps offer a bottomless buffet to wildlife, and to access that bounty, animals need to be bold enough to rummage through human rubbish but not so bold as to become a threat to people.—
Marina Wang,
Scientific American,
14 Nov. 2025
-
Helga once wrestled down a drunk fisherman in the Café, a man of above-average size, and then threw him out like a piece of rubbish; Jens thus transfers most of his weight automatically to her; who is this kid, by the way?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The next slide showed a mouthwatering array of meats, cheeses, crudite and nuts set for snacking on, along with bottles of Haack's champagne line, Clé Cachée, chilling behind an array of glasses.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
-
For instance, nuts, seeds, nut butters, and chocolate are more prone to oxidation, which can lead to rancid flavors or a gritty texture.—
Bridget Shirvell,
Martha Stewart,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
By this point in the MonsterVerse, though, the lore and silliness is verging on becoming an outright bug rather than a feature, and even the kaiju action seems oddly devoid of scale or stakes — dumb fun, but the dumb-to-fun ratios are off.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The show combines the world-building vibes of BoJack Horseman with the silliness of Bob’s Burgers, and tops the whole thing off with the musical stylings of a Crazy Ex-Girlfriend — all wrapped in family-friendly packaging.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In other words, our complexion is looking pallid, our skin is dry, and our overall appearance is just a little blah at the moment.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Instead of layers upon layers of neutral greige tones that simply feel blah, embrace contrast, rich tones, surfaces with a patina, and items that tell a story.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
So please excuse my ignorance and stupidity here, but.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
17 Dec. 2025
-
That’s how stupidity often is—causing problems, but also presenting opportunities.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
In one image—a favorite of mine—a man lies on an expanse of sand, cradling a smiling child, whose drool is pooling on the man’s shirtless chest.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
20 Dec. 2025
-
Lotte looks down at drips of drool on the green rubber mat that covers her desk.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Twaddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/twaddle. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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