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
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
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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Within the film’s glittering absurdity, Langlois shows us how easily the monster that was fame and fandom could turn on women like Mimi and Billie.—
Manuel Betancourt,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2025
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Based in Brooklyn, the studio will focus on stories that go inside the fringe to capture the absurdity of modern American life.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The simplicity of his resting place follows the express request made by Francis in his will.—
Fatima Al-Kassab,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2025
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Asawa’s own words posted throughout the exhibit reflect the simplicity of her genius.—
Robert Taylor,
Mercury News,
22 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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From physical fights to is-he-or-isn’t-he paternity test foolishness and now revenge p-rn, the storylines can get out of control.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
7 Apr. 2025
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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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Use it to find and retrieve stray nuts or bolts in any crevice.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2025
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Vegetables like broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, kale and asparagus are also included in most low-carb diets—as are eggs, cheese, Greek yogurt and nuts like walnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts and pistachios.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Folly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/folly. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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