1
as in nobody
a person of no importance or influence
a passive and retiring little zilch of a person
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Recent Examples of zilch
The women earned as little as $25 per game—or frequently zilch.
—
Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
Reviews have been mixed, with some critics embracing Gyllenhaal’s bold vision and others dismissing it as a whole lot of sound and fury, signifying zilch.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
Once all the air pollution goes to zilch in half an hour, the Airmega automatically switches into eco mode.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
At zero or zip or zilch charge.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026
The Bengals, meanwhile, have zip-zilch-nada defensively other than Trey Hendrickson, who might not play on a short week with a bad back/hip.
—Vic Tafur, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
Reviews have been mixed, with some critics embracing Gyllenhaal’s bold vision and others dismissing it as a whole lot of sound and fury, signifying zilch.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
Once all the air pollution goes to zilch in half an hour, the Airmega automatically switches into eco mode.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
At zero or zip or zilch charge.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026
The Bengals, meanwhile, have zip-zilch-nada defensively other than Trey Hendrickson, who might not play on a short week with a bad back/hip.
—Vic Tafur, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zilch
Noun
-
Despite the tragicomic instability and the rotating cast of nobodies temporarily tasked with running the country, when seen in macroeconomic terms, Peru appears to be doing just fine, thank you.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
-
Unlike some of his more strapping forebears (think Liam Neeson, Kevin Costner, or Aaron Eckhart), Odenkirk specializes in nobodies and normals: people one would not expect to be killing machines.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While CinemaCon 2026 brought us exciting news about new films, it was also bogged down with status quo nothings about how Amazon MGM still hasn’t found a new James Bond.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
-
When Dana, who, like Virginia, had been successful in writing pleasant but undistinguished nothings—in her case, songs for Billy Rose’s revues—decided to try taking on more serious music by studying with Boulanger, Virginia entered a deep downward spiral.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Consider a dashboard that shows applications, including keys and libraries; network traffic protocols and ciphers; hardware, such as HSMs and TPMs; and third-party dependencies, including cryptographic or software bills of materials.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
As zonky cross-generational ciphers go, the group’s debut, Strictly 4 the Scythe, is no Hypnotize Camp Posse, the amalgam of Three 6 Mafia and a grip of artists signed to their Hypnotize Minds label in the early 2000s.—
Dylan Green,
Pitchfork,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Skippers pushed their advantage to 6-0 before the clock hit triple zeroes in the opening frame.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
9 June 2026
-
Just trying to go out there and put up zeros or a one to keep the team in the game.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
For a more complex arrangement, try stacking dwarf azaleas in front of taller mountain laurels and select plants with coordinating flower colors.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
13 June 2026
-
The rounded dwarf types fit neatly into compact gardens as foundation plantings, borders, or accents.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
The technique, demonstrated at the Department of Energy’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, eliminates the need for costly molds while enabling lightweight, foldable structures.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
16 June 2026
-
This lightweight yet roomy bag completely flips the script on traditional carry-ons, coming in at just $128 and packing useful features into a minimal footprint.—
Tanya Sharma,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Detainees at the facility have reported a lack of access to lawyers and poor physical conditions, including worms in the food, toilets that do not flush, floors flooding with fecal waste and insects everywhere.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
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To attract birds to your yard, plant trees for nesting and insects, shrubs for berries and cover, wildflowers and grasses for seeds and pollinators, plus vines that feed birds and soften fences.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zilch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zilch. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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