idiot box

noun

Definition of idiot boxnext
as in TV
an electronic device with a screen and speakers that reproduces images and sound she declared that she wouldn't have an idiot box in her home

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of idiot box Writers strove to position themselves as more cynical than the idiot box that knew itself to be an idiot box. — Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025 All that, somehow, without Truman himself ever switching on the idiot box. — Armond White, National Review, 2 Aug. 2023 But the idiot box has also inspired arguably his worst projects, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and The Newsroom, sanctimonious and stupefyingly self-serious accounts of the woes of content creation. — Jason Bailey, Vulture, 21 Dec. 2021 All those childhood years in front of the idiot box could now be considered research — a lifetime of training, cleverly disguised as sloth. — Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idiot box
  1. TV
  2. television
Noun
  • In just the past three months, at least half a dozen streaming subscriptions hiked their prices, including Peacock, Apple TV, ESPN, Disney+, Hulu and Apple Music.
    — Ryley Amond, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Officers ask that anyone who has information about this shooting contact the Detroit Police Department Homicide Unit at 313-596-2260, Crime Stoppers of Michigan at 800-SPEAK-UP or send a tip via Detroit Rewards TV.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of TV
Noun
  • The Cold Song offers a case study in how public broadcasters can preserve space for ambitious, international television at a time when commercial outfits are hedging their bets.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The listening device was plugged into a USB port on the back of a television, concealed by a small piece of toilet paper, according to the FBI.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of television

Browse Nearby Words

idiot
idiot box
idiot boxes
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Cite this Entry

“Idiot box.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idiot%20box. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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