as in blunder
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 bêtise
Noun
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For the game, for the third straight game, the Lakers made bunches of mistakes that became bunches of baskets, this time 17 blunders that became 30 Oklahoma City points.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026 -
In a recent tactical blunder, the first lady’s farcical rollout of a teacher robot made unusually clear what this administration really thinks of children, teachers and schools.—
Randi Weingarten,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Noun
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The chaotic family life was cited when Cary Stayner pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the tourists’ murders; he was found mentally fit to stand trial.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
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Call it a runner's high or insanity; the marathon takes just about everything a person can muster up physically and mentally.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That’s the level of idiocy in the Los Angeles city government.—
Susan Shelley,
Daily News,
13 May 2026
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The idiocy of these people knows no bounds.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While her defensive energy contributed to the team’s depth, a scoreless night highlighted the utter absurdity of the league elevating a backup guard over the most prolific scorer in basketball history, especially on a night when the team was already missing its star center.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
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Some viewers even felt its liberal use of absurdity in fact grounded the show in the real world compared to the high-minded weepies on daytime, achieving honesty through nontraditional means.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Noun
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According to Sosnick, investors today may be too focused on companies’ rosy short-term guidance and assuming the good times will last — one of the many follies of those who got burned in 2000.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
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Whisper the secrets of Your mercy, and my folly, in my ears.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Noun
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And not just because one of the leading contestants torched himself and his political livelihood in a bonfire of hubris and stupidity.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
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That men like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are entrusted with businesses of tectonic influence can be difficult to understand, but their cults of personality have been able to survive scrutiny, perhaps because the money itself is too imposing a firewall for their own stupidity to penetrate.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
19 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Bêtise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/b%C3%AAtise. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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