as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
the idea that you can get a cold from not dressing warmly is claptrap
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as in mechanical
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of claptrap
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2024
But one is accustomed to hearing this claptrap from the right-wing fringe, not from anyone reaching Johnson’s elevated position in the government.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023
One is that a Kennedy candidacy that gains any real traction alone will increase the political credibility of anti-vax claptrap, which already has more than enough.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2023
That meant rolling home with bloody scrapes full of gravel past old farmhouses cheap enough for mailmen and jazz musicians to buy, build claptrap chicken coops and grow weed in the backyard.
—Daniel Duane, New York Times, 30 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for claptrap
Adjective
Mostly Rivas gets rid of distracting racist, sexist or classist claptrap in the script, annoyances that have nothing to do with its plot.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2024
But one is accustomed to hearing this claptrap from the right-wing fringe, not from anyone reaching Johnson’s elevated position in the government.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023
One is that a Kennedy candidacy that gains any real traction alone will increase the political credibility of anti-vax claptrap, which already has more than enough.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2023
That meant rolling home with bloody scrapes full of gravel past old farmhouses cheap enough for mailmen and jazz musicians to buy, build claptrap chicken coops and grow weed in the backyard.
—Daniel Duane, New York Times, 30 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for claptrap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claptrap
Noun
-
That's nonsense… and anyone who's been a part of these productions knows that IN FACT the opposite is true.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
9 July 2025
-
The song was essentially one long joke about animal noises, and once the joke wore off, what remained was an insanely repetitive chorus of nonsense.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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Driving through deep water can also negatively affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
10 July 2025
-
Officials said the work will be done using mechanical demolition, and no explosives or implosions will be used.—
Heather Hunter,
The Washington Examiner,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
Wasps are also scavengers, and they can often be found flying around garbage bins looking for their next meal.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
-
Folsom 4th of July garbage schedule For those living in Folsom, trash and waste pickup will continue as scheduled, according to the city’s website.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
Updated July 2,
Sacbee.com,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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Douglass’s decision to speak on July 5, deliberately after Independence Day celebrations, symbolically underscored his argument: America’s celebration of freedom was bitterly ironic and deeply hypocritical in the context of slavery and racial oppression.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
4 July 2025
-
Seems hypocritical compared with other legal vices allowed in the Land of Lincoln.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
2 July 2025
Noun
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Use it to find and retrieve stray nuts or bolts in any crevice.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2025
-
Without that pollination, almond trees produce only 200 pounds of nuts per acre.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
North Korea has responded to previous balloon campaigns with fiery rhetoric and other shows of anger, and last year the country launched its own balloons across the border, dumping rubbish on various South Korean sites, including the presidential compound.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
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They were were found beneath a pile of rubbish heaped just inside her front door, according to a police report released Wednesday.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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Eschewing a contrived set-up, Wax’s Izzy relates her story simply and directly to the audience.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
13 June 2025
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That’s the setting where Diamond’s story unfolds, in a very contrived and forced manner — even by jukebox musical standards — as the therapist uses a book of the singer-songwriter’s lyrics as a launching pad to examine significant life moments.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Democrats doubled down on issues that didn’t resonate with male voters and the tactics often used were corny, insincere and offensive.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
2 June 2025
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That’s not to say the film’s focus on the magic and mysteries male companionship is insincere.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Claptrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claptrap. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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