1
as in butter
excessive praise
laid the blarney on thick in order to get special treatment from the waitress
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
his excuse was his usual blarney about how he'd love to help out but he was just so darned busy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to coax
to get (someone) to do something by gentle urging, special attention, or flattery
attendants at the nursing home sometimes have to blarney the patients to take their medicine
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to honey
to praise too much
an eager, young assistant who blarneys the boss shamelessly
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of blarney
John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2022
This might come as a surprise given the outsized and blarney-filled headlines on social media to the contrary.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 4 June 2022
Menu: soda bread with Irish whiskey butter and fried cabbage and rashers; pork bangers and Irish colcannon with red onion gravy and blarney stones and Irish bananas.
—Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 9 Mar. 2022
The blarney is still strong here (lapsing into Irish dialect is an occupational hazard of reading him), but these characters also act.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for blarney
Noun
After years of listening to Boris Johnson’s blarney, many Britons have had their fill, at least for now, of hot air cleverly channelled.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2022
This might come as a surprise given the outsized and blarney-filled headlines on social media to the contrary.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 4 June 2022
Menu: soda bread with Irish whiskey butter and fried cabbage and rashers; pork bangers and Irish colcannon with red onion gravy and blarney stones and Irish bananas.
—Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 9 Mar. 2022
The blarney is still strong here (lapsing into Irish dialect is an occupational hazard of reading him), but these characters also act.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for blarney
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blarney
Noun
-
Add the butter, half and half, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
10 July 2025
-
The rum has aromas of nougat, almond butter, and brown sugar.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
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
Verb
-
Learn more about how an infinite complexity of brews is coaxed out of those three simple ingredients by touring a brewery.—
Jessica Kozuka,
Travel + Leisure,
6 July 2025
-
Key moment With the bases loaded and one out in the fourth inning, Gausman coaxed Gustavo Campero into a 1-3 double play.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 July 2025
Verb
-
Those harmonies — simultaneously honeyed and gravelly, providing just enough support without overshadowing, yet so powerful and full of potential — echoes Whitten.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
2 July 2024
-
Enjoy flavored nuts, such as those that are candied, glazed, or honied, in moderation.—
Selene Yeager,
Health,
24 Feb. 2024
Noun
-
What a torrent of encouragement and loving advice and undeserved flattery over the years!—
John Updike,
New Yorker,
11 July 2025
-
We are primed to value privileged or secret wisdom, vulnerable to flattery and suggestion, and enthusiastic about major leaps forward in scientific potential.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
Use it to find and retrieve stray nuts or bolts in any crevice.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2025
-
Vegetables like broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, kale and asparagus are also included in most low-carb diets—as are eggs, cheese, Greek yogurt and nuts like walnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts and pistachios.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But while Johnson critics praised the move as fiscally responsible, mayoral allies blasted it as a reckless effort to block the City Council majority’s will.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
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Gadd acknowledged disappointment over losing Jones’ contribution, praising the actor’s exceptional work and noting audiences would miss seeing his full performance range.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 July 2025
Noun
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Shop for taffy at Zeno’s Boardwalk Sweet Shop, rent a jet-ski from Fly-N-High Waverunners, or book a deep-sea fishing excursion at Hubbard’s Marina.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
27 June 2025
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Someone is then shot with a harpoon, only to have their guts pulled like taffy from the wound.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blarney.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blarney. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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