boondoggle
noun
boon·dog·gle
| \ ˈbün-ˌdä-gəl
, -ˌdȯ-\
, -ˌdȯ-\
Definition of boondoggle
1
: a braided cord worn by Boy Scouts as a neckerchief slide (see slide entry 2 sense 4b), hatband, or ornament
2
: a wasteful or impractical project or activity often involving graft
The project is a complete boondoggle—over budget, behind schedule, and unnecessary.
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Other Words from boondoggle
boondoggle
intransitive verb
boondoggler
\ ˈbün-ˌdä-g(ə-)lər
, -ˌdȯ- \
noun
, -ˌdȯ- \
noun
Examples of boondoggle in a Sentence
Critics say the dam is a complete boondoggle—over budget, behind schedule, and unnecessary.
Recent Examples on the Web
There is good reason to believe that bad economic news—a wheezing stock market, a trade war that’s become an increasingly costly boondoggle, and, above all, a looming recession—inspired the week of tantrums. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "Trump Previews His Response to the Next Recession," 27 Aug. 2019 Oregon’s proposal to widen Interstate 5 through the Rose Quarter is one of the nation’s 9 worst highway boondoggles, according to a report from two nonprofit environmental think tanks released Tuesday. — oregonlive.com, "Rose Quarter project is one of nation’s biggest highway boondoggles, environmental watchdogs say," 18 June 2019 Two Forks was an economic boondoggle and would have been an environmental disaster. — Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, "Letters: Remembering Two Forks veto as a win for the environment; Russia danger understated (8/5/19)," 5 Aug. 2019 Important infrastructure, such as highways and reservoirs, is neglected in favor of progressive boondoggles like the finally killed-off Hyperloop high-speed rail line. — James P. Sutton, National Review, "Why the GOP Has Declined in California," 1 Aug. 2019 The third-place finisher in the mayoral race might seem an odd fit for the organization; critics painted the wealthy former Highland Park resident as a carpetbagging force for the city's old guard that leads Dallas into boondoggles. — Hayat Norimine, Dallas News, "Coalition for a New Dallas hopes new political muscle will help its causes," 28 June 2019 Assignments took me to Beijing, China, London (twice) and Kapalua, Maui, still the greatest boondoggle of my career. — Jeff Duncan, nola.com, "My front row seat to the Golden Age of New Orleans sports," 28 June 2019 So far, carbon capture and storage has been a boondoggle in the United States, after the high-profile failure of a $7.5 billion CCS power plant project in Mississippi and general concerns about the technology's expense. — Eric Niiler, WIRED, "What to Do About CO2? Try Stuffing It Into the Gulf of Mexico," 6 June 2019 The pattern such boondoggles follow is predictable: the services insist that new weapons are needed to replace our rapidly obsolescing fleets. — Andrew Cockburn, Harper's magazine, "The Military-Industrial Virus," 10 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'boondoggle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for boondoggle
boondoggle
noun
English Language Learners Definition of boondoggle
US
: an expensive and wasteful project usually paid for with public money
See the full definition for boondoggle in the English Language Learners Dictionary