as in cornball
tiresomely obvious and unsophisticated
their father's sense of humor was hokey beyond belief and most people's endurance
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Recent Examples of hokey
However, sometimes managers plan for hokey-cokey transfers or immediately reverse a decision due to regret.
—
Holly Shand, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
So, what was the key to it not being hokey?
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2025
These days, Christmas movies, broadly and charitably defined, seem to be synonymous with the brassy, hokey, sickly sweet sort of fare that has a permanent home on the Hallmark Channel and is in perpetual rotation on Netflix.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
Flanagan's film leans into some of the hokey aspects of the story that Kubrick rejected in favor of a much colder sort of horror.
—James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hokey
Holly Shand, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
So, what was the key to it not being hokey?
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2025
These days, Christmas movies, broadly and charitably defined, seem to be synonymous with the brassy, hokey, sickly sweet sort of fare that has a permanent home on the Hallmark Channel and is in perpetual rotation on Netflix.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
Flanagan's film leans into some of the hokey aspects of the story that Kubrick rejected in favor of a much colder sort of horror.
—James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hokey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hokey
Adjective
-
Generations of ski families flocked to his films every fall to get revved up for a new ski season and laugh at his cornball humor.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Davis and Head make strong impressions, masking the pedestrian, sometimes cornball dialogue.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Mountainaire, an eleven-person luxury cabin in Hampshire County along the North River, is the picture of rustic elegance; enjoy lavish meals at the French farm table, light fires in the outdoor fireplace, and snuggle into your vintage four-poster iron bed.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Seed Studio Landscape Design paired rustic wood fencing with light tile flooring and colorful landscaping to give this space an open and airy feel.—
Kristin Hohenadel,
The Spruce,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The correlation between the songs and Jim’s life may be corny, but the film clearly presents Morrison’s life as a search for these songs.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Foligno always skirted the line between earnest and corny, but nobody ever doubted his sincerity.—
Scott Powers,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Lycra Company has corn-fed stretch.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
On Tuesday, Sasha De Sola, an old pro in the role, danced it with ravishing self-possession, hardly seeming to need the support of her consort Harrison James, who exuded the corn-fed charm of a linebacker while delivering cleanly polished grande pirouettes.—
Rachel Howard,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hokey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hokey. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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