1
as in goose
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
only a turkey would think it's a good idea to go for a jog when the weather drops below zero
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person
you turkey, that wasn't my boyfriend—it was my brother!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disaster
something that has failed
his business venture ended up being a turkey, and he lost quite a bit of money on it
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of turkey
Roasted turkey breast contains 1.5 milligrams of zinc per three ounces, 14% of the RDA, according to the NIH.
—
Caroline Tien, SELF, 10 Mar. 2025
Nationwide economic strain persists from the virus that has wiped out nearly 170 million chickens, turkeys and other birds since early 2022.
—Tom Polansek, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2025
Rone decided to switch spots after about two hours of hunting and no sign of a turkey.
—Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 21 Mar. 2025
While the wild birds can be infected without becoming ill, poultry such as chickens and turkeys can get very sick and die from the viruses.
—Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turkey
Caroline Tien, SELF, 10 Mar. 2025
Nationwide economic strain persists from the virus that has wiped out nearly 170 million chickens, turkeys and other birds since early 2022.
—Tom Polansek, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2025
Rone decided to switch spots after about two hours of hunting and no sign of a turkey.
—Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 21 Mar. 2025
While the wild birds can be infected without becoming ill, poultry such as chickens and turkeys can get very sick and die from the viruses.
—Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turkey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turkey
Noun
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It’s not known what caused the goose to leave Wrigley.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
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For one thing, the methods for growing and manipulating the embryonic precursors of avian sperm and eggs in a lab setting have been developed for only two birds: the chicken and, recently, the goose.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Last month, the EU Commission urged its 450 million citizens to stockpile enough food, water and essentials for 72 hours in the event of emergencies like cyberattacks, climate disasters, disease and also geopolitical conflicts.—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2025
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The disaster led to passage of the Federal Coal Mine and Safety Act, which in turn added the miners' surveillance program under the respiratory health division at NIOSH.—
Yuki Noguchi,
NPR,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But in reality, every success is built on a failure.—
Omaid Homayun,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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These setbacks highlight the inherent risks of space operations, where even minor failures can cost hundreds of millions and set timelines back by months or years.—
Jackie Snow,
Quartz,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Holding out hope for Hannah’s return, or Janine’s liberation, or… anything, really, by this point in the Hulu drama’s final run can feel like a fool’s errand.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
8 Apr. 2025
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That said, sense-making is a fool’s errand in this era.—
Damon Beres,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Sometimes too stupid is actually smartski but sometimes is just stupid stupid.—
Caroline Downey,
National Review,
27 Mar. 2025
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An underrated gem — not enough people have seen this top-tier season — Squirrels Trip has some fabulous vocals, very funny lyrics, a heavy dose of stupid, and an engaging story.—
Barry Levitt,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Each year, fire safety officials warn of the dangers of fireworks and stage demonstrations of dummies that catch fire and watermelons that explode.—
Linda Trischitta,
Sun-Sentinel.com,
10 July 2017
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Zuby said the Tesla Model S didn’t have a strong enough safety belt, and a dummy used to simulate a driver in the small overlap test moved too far forward during the crash, striking its head on the steering wheel.—
Diana Kruzman,
USA TODAY,
6 July 2017
Noun
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Trump hasn't been shy in elevating the campaign on social media; last weekend, the president posted a video, purportedly of several dozen Houthi militants assembling at an undisclosed location, getting hit by U.S. bombs.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
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The two measures were intended to block a total of $8.8 billion in heavy bombs and other munitions to Israel.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The loser of Friday’s game in Atlanta enters the offseason.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
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The winner will then play the loser of Tuesday’s No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchup, and whoever wins that game will become the East’s No. 8 seed and face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Turkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turkey. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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