1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
the American purchase of Alaska was originally considered a grand folly
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment
in all my folly, I didn't think about how my actions would hurt my father
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
enough of this folly about moving to the Australian outback
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of folly
In order to pursue this folly, the legislature has equipped Brown with a million dollars of your tax money at a time when the state is running a $3 billion deficit and is trying to secure federal funding to rebuild the Key Bridge.
—
Haven Shoemaker, Baltimore Sun, 22 Feb. 2025
Paper money can see its value evaporate if fiscal folly prevails.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 22 Feb. 2025
Or is that just childish folly?
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 21 Feb. 2025
However this does show the folly of bringing these kinds of players in to the dressing room at the same time as there being a permanent churn of managers trying to reset the culture and the playing style.
—Charlotte Harpur, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Haven Shoemaker, Baltimore Sun, 22 Feb. 2025
Paper money can see its value evaporate if fiscal folly prevails.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 22 Feb. 2025
Or is that just childish folly?
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 21 Feb. 2025
However this does show the folly of bringing these kinds of players in to the dressing room at the same time as there being a permanent churn of managers trying to reset the culture and the playing style.
—Charlotte Harpur, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for folly
Noun
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The court ruled that although Elkins did kill her children, she was found not guilty by reason of insanity, the outlet and NBC10 Philadelphia reported.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan ruled last week that Elkins did kill her children, but was not guilty by reason of insanity, the Ashbury Park Press reported.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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From the foothills of the Berkshires arises a venerable strain of American madness, the poetry of hokum—the old weird America of medicine shows and travelling circuses and carnivals.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2025
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The chaos has Americans and the world wondering whether there’s a method behind the apparent madness.—
Laurent Belsie,
Christian Science Monitor,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Just ask anyone who's watched an AI confidently spit out nonsense—or worse.—
Bob Ras,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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While Drop, clocking in at an economical 93 minutes, may sound like fun and games, there’s something deeper and more human at its core than mindless nonsense.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But the film, like many of her roles, highlights the absurdity of such divisive social dynamics.—
Jessica Ourisman,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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The show pursues this dream to the point of absurdity, holding out hope for Serena’s absolution long past the point when a reasonable observer would have abandoned it.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Resembling in color a smooth pebble after heavy rains, the calfskin leather holder has but one compartment and one back pocket — taking it back to the basics and accentuating simplicity.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
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That simplicity feels so apt for this show, There's enough here: The production is simple and sweet, while Jonas and Warren exude a certain magnetism.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Trump himself personifies stupidity’s essential feature — self-satisfaction, an inability to recognize the flaws in your thinking.—
David Brooks,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2025
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These deaths come on the heels of the equally bizarre and jarring death of Adult Lottie (Simone Kessell) which brings us to four adult survivors dead, though Adult Travis died offscreen (sparking a really fascinating mystery that ended in sheer stupidity and disappointment).—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Adams case is not the only one that will bring the foolishness of this directive into sharp relief.—
Andrew C. McCarthy,
National Review,
15 Feb. 2025
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Making any judgements about the actual validity of their complaints is the height of foolishness right now, with so much legal process runway still ahead.—
James Hibberd,
The Hollywood Reporter,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Use it to find and retrieve stray nuts or bolts in any crevice.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2025
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Without that pollination, almond trees produce only 200 pounds of nuts per acre.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Folly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/folly. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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