1
as in lunatics
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
only a fool would attempt to climb that mountain unprepared
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clowns
a person formerly kept in a royal or noble household to amuse with jests and pranks
a king's fool could get away with saying things that others in the palace couldn't
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in suckers
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something
I'm a fool for ice cream
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in maniacs
a person having or showing a severely disordered or abnormal state of mind
he got out of serving in the army by successfully pretending to be a fool
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in tricks
to cause to believe what is untrue
I fooled him into thinking that we were driving to the store, not to his surprise birthday party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in jokes
to make jokes
an edgy comedian fooling with an appreciative college audience
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fools
Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Sabonis and Zach LaVine are fringe All-Stars most seasons, Keegan Murray is a solid wing starter who shoots and defends, DeRozan can still get midrange buckets and shot-fake fools into heaps of fouls, and Malik Monk is electric in a sixth-man role.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
The result is just old-fashioned cinematic fools’ gold, in which sensationalistic blather poses as social commentary.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent years have seen thousands of Palestinian properties illegally seized, but the Khalidis would not be taken for fools.
—Ryan Byrnes, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Welcome back, friends and fools, to year FIVE of the Vulture Movies Fantasy League.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2025
The men largely act like fools in Splitsville.
—Nigel Smith, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Witty, observant, and unwilling to suffer fools, Elizabeth Bennet is the original challenger brand.
—Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Now Swiftian color theory is a game for fools and mad men, but just keep that in mind.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
None of this is meant to suggest that a trade is imminent, but if offered the chance to trade these three players for Peralta, the Yankees would be fools not to take it.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Sabonis and Zach LaVine are fringe All-Stars most seasons, Keegan Murray is a solid wing starter who shoots and defends, DeRozan can still get midrange buckets and shot-fake fools into heaps of fouls, and Malik Monk is electric in a sixth-man role.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
The result is just old-fashioned cinematic fools’ gold, in which sensationalistic blather poses as social commentary.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent years have seen thousands of Palestinian properties illegally seized, but the Khalidis would not be taken for fools.
—Ryan Byrnes, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Welcome back, friends and fools, to year FIVE of the Vulture Movies Fantasy League.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2025
The men largely act like fools in Splitsville.
—Nigel Smith, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Witty, observant, and unwilling to suffer fools, Elizabeth Bennet is the original challenger brand.
—Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Now Swiftian color theory is a game for fools and mad men, but just keep that in mind.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fools
Noun
-
So that episode will make fun [of] billionaire life-extension body-hacking lunatics.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Whether those people are sickened by grief and rage into a kind of temporary insanity, genuine lunatics, hustlers looking to milk a little more engagement or some combination of the three doesn’t really matter.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In real life, Gacy did have an obsession with clowns, according to CBS News.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The biggest losers are the very citizens electing these clowns.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Remove any shoots and suckers that appear on the trunk or near the roots, and get rid of crossing or dead branches.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
13 Oct. 2025
-
And as captured by production’s cameras, that’s exactly what happened after Jake was chomped on by one of those very dangerous l’il suckers.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Haunted Trail takes visitors outdoors through a path with dense fog and several haunting installations with zombies, a ghoul bus, a graveyard filled with ghosts, chainsaw maniacs and more.—
Ut Community Press,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Adding mulch too early when temperatures are still warm traps heat and tricks plant roots to remain active and produce new growth that can be damaged by cold temperatures.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Seeing empty floor tricks the brain into thinking there is more space than there is.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The group of veterans in the back often jokes about fantasy football and other sports.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
-
In a viral TikTok video, a cat owner catches her cat doing something unusual with her eye, and immediately jokes about a potentially expensive vet visit.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Try Greek yogurt or kefir topped with fruit and nuts.—
Brittany Poulson,
Verywell Health,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Shake pan to redistribute nuts, and then put it back in oven for another five minutes.—
Kathryn Gregory,
Louisville Courier Journal,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For October, the committee has even more billboards on the way, paid for by Tab lovers across the country.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Dominica Animal-lovers can head down to the Caribbean island of Dominica to visit what will likely become the world's first sperm whale reserve next year as the country acts on its commitment to marine conservation.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fools.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fools. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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