as in notion
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
on a whim, we stopped at the roadside stand to get ice cream
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whim
The scope of these enormous solar storms is important to understand for technology experts in the 21st century, which is much more vulnerable to the whims of the sun due to society's dependence on electronic systems and space technologies.
—
Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 19 May 2025
And a global order that, for all its drawbacks, has made world war more of a prospect than a fact for several decades is now subject to the whims of President Trump, who has developed the most incoherent of positions: that of the bellicose unilateral noninterventionist.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 9 May 2025
The Treasury secretary’s rationalization for Trump’s whims wouldn’t pass an undergrad econ exam.
—Veronique De Rugy, National Review, 7 May 2025
But no overhaul is forthcoming, leaving the CIA and its peers vulnerable to Trump’s demagoguery, and Americans vulnerable to the whims of a surveillance state.
—James Santel, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for whim
Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 19 May 2025
And a global order that, for all its drawbacks, has made world war more of a prospect than a fact for several decades is now subject to the whims of President Trump, who has developed the most incoherent of positions: that of the bellicose unilateral noninterventionist.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 9 May 2025
The Treasury secretary’s rationalization for Trump’s whims wouldn’t pass an undergrad econ exam.
—Veronique De Rugy, National Review, 7 May 2025
But no overhaul is forthcoming, leaving the CIA and its peers vulnerable to Trump’s demagoguery, and Americans vulnerable to the whims of a surveillance state.
—James Santel, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for whim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whim
Noun
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Many of the pointed questions that Cruz Guerrero sought answers to in the text revolved around fatherhood, namely the elusive notion of work-life balance.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
-
The very notion of shared destiny and collective goals is fading.—
Sturla Henriksen,
Time,
5 June 2025
Noun
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Trump ran as a populist, but his actions in office have built a new élite shaped by his personal preference and caprice.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2025
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Fear of political caprice masquerading as strategy, of a trade war metastasizing into financial contagion, and of a world where traditional safe havens—currencies, institutions, alliances—no longer offer much safety at all.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Monday’s announcement of the WBD split included thoughts that TNT Sports could be licensed out to HBO Max, licensed to another entity entirely or even spun off into another separate company.—
John Cassillo,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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There’s plenty of humor also in individual thoughts on their biggest but frothiest hit.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
Noun
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Vape shops have spread across the American retail landscape with a bizarre swiftness, seemingly unbeholden to the same vagaries of inflation, customer demand, and local real estate that bind every other kind of storefront small business in the country.—
Amanda Mull,
The Atlantic,
22 June 2023
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Third, repeaters should prove capable of swapping this data between nodes in a network in a predictable way and not one too subject to the vagaries of chance.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
13 June 2023
Noun
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Set to John Kander and Fred Ebb's award-winning score, the trailer offers a glimpse at the film’s blend of gritty realism and old-Hollywood fantasy.—
Dave Quinn,
People.com,
5 June 2025
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Following Wicked’s blockbuster release last year, there’s a ton of excitement brewing for Part 2 of the fantasy movie musical starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Noun
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True to her ethos, the entire Dianna Singh line is ebullient with a touch of whimsy.—
Celia Shatzman,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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Photo: John Woodcock Traditional design is enlivened with moments of whimsy and personality in the designs of Black Ink Interiors.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
20 May 2025
Noun
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The 120fps quality is as clear as day, too, bolstered by the bigger screen and fancy, magnetic Joy-Con 2s.—
Matt Gardner,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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The idea of a catalogue of lesbians seized her fancy.—
Charlie Tyson,
New Yorker,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whim. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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