1
as in excited
informal
showing urgent desire or interest
The friends are bonkers about the new video game, and play together for hours at a time.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in insane
informal + sometimes offensive
unable to think in a clear or sensible way
She spent her last years as a totally bonkers recluse in a decaying mansion.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bonkers
Hulu’s new show from the creator of Luther is a totally bonkers melange of sci-fi scenarios, global doom, and stabbiness.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2018
Graffiti historian Roger Gastman—who helped orchestrate MOCA’s record-setting Art in the Streets show in 2011—takes over a 40,000-square-foot warehouse on the edge of Chinatown for a totally bonkers street art experience.
—Marielle Wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, 21 June 2018
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2018
Graffiti historian Roger Gastman—who helped orchestrate MOCA’s record-setting Art in the Streets show in 2011—takes over a 40,000-square-foot warehouse on the edge of Chinatown for a totally bonkers street art experience.
—Marielle Wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, 21 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bonkers
Adjective
-
In the comment section, fans were excited to see an intimate piece of her life.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
1 July 2025
-
According to recent research from the global consumer research platform, GWI, 60% of consumers are excited for the further development of AI tools.—
Gary Drenik,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
Amanda learned in like 10 seconds, which is insane.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
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The emu egg—a two pound, eight-inch ovoid with a sultry teal shell gently speckled in pale green—seemed like just the right absurdist final flourish for an already insane endeavor.—
Helen Rosner,
The New Yorker,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The 33-year-old state assemblyman has ensnared a wide net of seasoned billionaires and enthusiastic young activists, presented as a regular New Yorker who lived in Africa as a child.—
Alexandra Bregman,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Diamond and her husband were enthusiastic volunteers since the 1990s for a local historic preservation organization, Historic Boulder, Inc.—
Colleen Slevin,
Chicago Tribune,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
In the ’60s, my grandma came straight to Los Angeles from Mississippi with mad kids.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
27 June 2025
-
Sit down in Geneva or Vienna or Qatar and fully and permanently surrender this mad nightmare to acquire nukes, or face more of the same devastation.—
New York Daily News,
Twin Cities,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Trump has been an avid proponent of reshoring U.S. manufacturing, using tariffs as a leverage to convince companies to build plants in the U.S. and attacking Apple for manufacturing its iPhones in Asia.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
26 June 2025
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Residents who live near a fishing location, spend a lot of time near the water or are avid boaters are encouraged to get involved.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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The counselor also told police Trotman had had a previous psychotic break in which he was found wandering the woods.—
Peter Hermann,
Washington Post,
7 Feb. 2023
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Lewis prescribed Price anti-psychotic medication after a mental health referral Sept. 1.—
Thomas Saccente,
Arkansas Online,
17 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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Comprised mostly of phishing, but also malware, threats, the domains in question have been created by cybercriminals seeking to benefit from the high media profile of Prime Day and the anticipated flood of consumers eager to grab a bargain.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Undeterred, Gustav offers the role, written for Nora, to the young Hollywood star Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning), dropping the eager American actress right in the middle of the complicated Borg family dynamics.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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College campuses, after all, cannot and should not be anarchic free speech zones where any maniacal provocateur like Milo Yiannopoulos can come and deliver an outrageous address designed to do nothing other than generate controversy without any pushback.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
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The twists hit quickly, and you’re left satisfied, an amuse-bouche of life among maniacal rich people.—
William Earl,
Variety,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bonkers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonkers. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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