make a fool (out) of
idiom
: to cause (someone) to look stupid or foolish
She made a fool (out) of me by insulting me in front of my friends.
Examples of make a fool (out) of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His class anxiety had vanished and was replaced by a kind of joy that comes with watching your eldest son with a fancy education make a fool out of himself.
—
Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2023
This often includes using someone’s own words to make a fool out of them – as the Lincoln Project ads often do with Trump.
—Chris Lamb, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2020
Don’t beat women, hold guns to peoples heads, fund abortions then pretend your pro-life, stalk cheerleaders, leave your multiple minor children alone to chase more fame, lie, lie, lie, say stupid crap, and make a fool of your family..
—Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 7 Dec. 2022
Make loud noises – make a fool of yourself,’’ Beatty said.
—Sue Kiesewetter, The Enquirer, 24 Feb. 2023
Of course, a phenomenon such as climate change or the pandemic may make a fool of the great-man theory.
—Lance Morrow, WSJ, 2 Dec. 2022
Sometimes the only thing stopping us from taking to the dance floor to shake off the blues, is the lack of some guy willing to make a fool of himself up there first.
—Jessica Kiang, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2022
That means being funny, not being afraid to make a fool of yourself, not taking yourself too seriously.
—Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 May 2022
Studies have shown that the same parts of the brain are activated when watching someone sustain a physical injury as when watching someone make a fool of themselves.
—Jessica Thompson, refinery29.com, 21 Apr. 2021
Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2023
This often includes using someone’s own words to make a fool out of them – as the Lincoln Project ads often do with Trump.
—Chris Lamb, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2020
Don’t beat women, hold guns to peoples heads, fund abortions then pretend your pro-life, stalk cheerleaders, leave your multiple minor children alone to chase more fame, lie, lie, lie, say stupid crap, and make a fool of your family..
—Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 7 Dec. 2022
Make loud noises – make a fool of yourself,’’ Beatty said.
—Sue Kiesewetter, The Enquirer, 24 Feb. 2023
Of course, a phenomenon such as climate change or the pandemic may make a fool of the great-man theory.
—Lance Morrow, WSJ, 2 Dec. 2022
Sometimes the only thing stopping us from taking to the dance floor to shake off the blues, is the lack of some guy willing to make a fool of himself up there first.
—Jessica Kiang, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2022
That means being funny, not being afraid to make a fool of yourself, not taking yourself too seriously.
—Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 May 2022
Studies have shown that the same parts of the brain are activated when watching someone sustain a physical injury as when watching someone make a fool of themselves.
—Jessica Thompson, refinery29.com, 21 Apr. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'make a fool (out) of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Make a fool (out) of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20a%20fool%20%28out%29%20of. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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