soap opera

noun

Definition of soap operanext
as in sludge
something (as a work of literature or music) that is too sentimental the movie started out well, but quickly devolved into improbable soap opera

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 soap opera Panettiere, worked as a child in soap operas before hitting it big in television, published a memoir three months before her death, detailing her own beginnings. — Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 The two tied the knot within a year of meeting on the soap opera All My Children. — Grace Gavilanes, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026 Or another step to the sport becoming a bona fide soap opera? — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Brittany Snow, who also began her career in Hollywood as a young actress and starred with Panettiere on the soap opera Guiding Light, shared a remembrance of her former co-star. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for soap opera
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soap opera
  1. sludge
  2. corn
Noun
  • Pumping at high speeds creates a suction vortex (upconing) that violently draws heavy sludge into the production stream, fouling piping and destroying surface pumps.
    — Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Related Stories The report noted that sludge remained Saitex’s primary source of waste in 2025, and that the company repurposed 40 percent of that waste to produce bricks for garden walkways and concrete blocks for retaining walls.
    — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of sludge
Noun
  • Global supply concerns have sent benchmark corn and wheat futures to three-year highs, and soybeans are near the highest since 2024.
    — Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Add the hominy and corn and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until tender, then season lightly with salt.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of corn

Browse Nearby Words

soapboxes
soap opera
soap-operatic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Soap opera.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soap%20opera. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on soap opera

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about soap opera

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All