as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
a trendy London restaurant serving bizarre concoctions that anyone with a brain and a stomach would dismiss as codswallop
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Recent Examples of codswallop
Great story, total codswallop, says Skaife, who has pored through the archives and found zip.
—
William Booth, The Seattle Times, 26 Oct. 2018
And don’t forget codswallop, a word that sounds Shakespearean but was coined in 1959.
—Stephen Miller, WSJ, 29 May 2018
Mnuchin tried to double-talk this codswallop past SPW.
—Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 19 May 2017
William Booth, The Seattle Times, 26 Oct. 2018
And don’t forget codswallop, a word that sounds Shakespearean but was coined in 1959.
—Stephen Miller, WSJ, 29 May 2018
Mnuchin tried to double-talk this codswallop past SPW.
—Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 19 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for codswallop
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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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
Noun
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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
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
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Incorporate it into mac and cheese for a creamy, nutty complement to Cheddar and Colby Jack, grate it on a box grater to add to pizza, or serve it alongside fruit and nuts on a charcuterie board.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The [Terry] Rozier trade turned out to be kind of blah ...—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
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Living Better From blah to buoyant, these skills can improve your mood and optimism Why aim towards the ear?—
Andrea Muraskin,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, doubling down on stupidity, the Democrats attacked Trump for eliminating—or at least setting back—Iran’s capacity to complete construction and delivery of nuclear bombs.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
4 July 2025
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That’s either extreme confidence or extraordinary stupidity, or some combination.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2025
Noun
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Start with the dragon and its bizarre dog-like face, exaggerated fangs and dripping drool.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 May 2025
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Depp pushes over a cabinet with dishes, rips open her dress and makes a most unholy noise as her eyeballs go up in their sockets, tongue juts out and globs of drool pour from her mouth.—
Brian Truitt,
USA TODAY,
24 Dec. 2024
Noun
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Codswallop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/codswallop. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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