as in fopperies
a foolish act or idea
writing a sequel to a Jane Austen novel must be regarded as a literary bêtise of the highest order
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bêtises
Noun
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Working with Chhaya clients who were facing foreclosure, Mamdani got an intimate look at the little insanities of the city’s housing crisis.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Although the mom of four appeared to spend the rest of her night faux pas-free, she's had to handle sartorial blunders before.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
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There were other conspicuous blunders, like passing from midair out of jumpers and right to Lakers defenders.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Noun
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Fanciful Hapsburg follies have been restored and repurposed.—
Joshua Levine,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2026
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The structures are called follies and were completely designed and built by students from start to finish.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The comedian’s monologue took the approach of pointing out the litany of absurdities related to the WHCD, including before, during and after the event.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
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Current and former Social Security officials have told ProPublica over the past year that the SSI program’s complexities and absurdities remain perhaps the agency’s biggest bureaucratic headache.—
Eli Hager,
ProPublica,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For the past four years, Honan has been a worm in Adams’s apple, scoring scoop after scoop about the dramas, inanities, and intrigues of his administration.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
21 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Bêtises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/b%C3%AAtises. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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