1. people, especially children, who suck their thumbs
Usage: plural form
2. articles or stories that are overly analytical or speculative
Usage: journalism; informal

Examples

• The daycare teacher helped the thumbsuckers break their habit gradually.
• Most thumbsuckers stop the behavior by age four.
• The pediatrician assured parents that thumbsuckers rarely cause permanent damage.
• The editor rejected the piece, calling it one of those boring thumbsuckers.
• Readers prefer hard news over lengthy thumbsuckers about political theory.
• The magazine was criticized for publishing too many thumbsuckers instead of investigative reports.