1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
the American purchase of Alaska was originally considered a grand folly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of folly
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
The infantile abomination that is The Boss Baby is the most unhinged example of the studio’s manic folly.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
The book’s hero is Will Andrews, an idealistic college student, who gets lured into this folly by an ambitious, fortune-seeking hunter named Miller.
—Calum Marsh, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
Even the decision to join PSG, which looked to some like folly, made sense through a certain lens.
—Jack Lang, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Charlotte Harpur, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
The infantile abomination that is The Boss Baby is the most unhinged example of the studio’s manic folly.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
The book’s hero is Will Andrews, an idealistic college student, who gets lured into this folly by an ambitious, fortune-seeking hunter named Miller.
—Calum Marsh, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
Even the decision to join PSG, which looked to some like folly, made sense through a certain lens.
—Jack Lang, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for folly
Noun
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Despite his confession, Moseley pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity at the trial for Kitty's slaying.—
Jessica Sager,
People.com,
13 Mar. 2025
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Smith’s attorneys argued that he should be found not guilty by reason of insanity, records show.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
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So, which teams have a chance to jump in the seedings, and which are concerned with making the road ahead more difficult when the madness begins?—
Tyler Small,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
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The madness begins early this week in Nashville when the 2025 SEC Tournament kicks off with a battle between the No. 16 South Carolina Gamecocks and the No. 9 Arkansas Razorbacks.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Describing the plot as utter nonsense would both be 100 percent correct and likely taken as a massive compliment for all involved.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
7 Mar. 2025
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Putin has repeatedly dismissed as nonsense Western claims that Russia could one day attack a NATO member.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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An opening scene lays out the grotesque absurdity of the situation, as office manager Joy (Christiane Paul) delineates between culinary content and animal abuse in a meeting.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
9 Mar. 2025
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The recent launch of Donald Trump’s self-proclaimed $TRUMP meme coin, which appeared to be an attempt to capitalize on his second inauguration, only reinforced the absurdity of this trend.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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But the simplicity of the sequence of events — Smith’s shot perfectly careening off the side of the rim and Şengün’s subsequent positioning for the putback — was indicative of Houston’s rebounding prowess.—
Kelly Iko,
The Athletic,
18 Mar. 2025
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These businesses are hard to find in an increasingly complex world, but Munger recognized that simplicity wins.—
Steve Booren,
The Denver Post,
16 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Beausoleil makes that claim, and argues that stupidity and self-preservation is also a sound reason for the Manson murders.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
TIME,
7 Mar. 2025
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Brooks – an author of books on the human condition -- is careful to delineate stupidity from intelligence.—
John Baldoni,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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More recently, however, both the manosphere and the alt-right have adopted the term cuck as a more general synonym for weakness, desperation and foolishness.—
Brooke Scelza,
Scientific American,
19 Sep. 2024
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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
Noun
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The property also grows its own herbs, greens, nuts, berries, and edible flowers.—
Bianca Salonga,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
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Focus on whole foods like fruits, leafy green vegetables, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
5 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Folly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/folly. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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