1
as in excited
informal
showing urgent desire or interest
The friends are bonkers about the new video game, and play together for hours at a time.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in insane
informal + sometimes offensive
unable to think in a clear or sensible way
She spent her last years as a totally bonkers recluse in a decaying mansion.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bonkers
There were indelible clutch moments and absolutely bonkers endings.
—
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Tanyard Hill, located next to Coy Hill, is home to four warehouses built in the early ’60s that also apparently yield barrels with truly bonkers levels of alcohol.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 9 Nov. 2025
Graffiti historian Roger Gastman—who helped orchestrate MOCA’s record-setting Art in the Streets show in 2011—takes over a 40,000-square-foot warehouse on the edge of Chinatown for a totally bonkers street art experience.
—Marielle Wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, 21 June 2018
Hulu’s new show from the creator of Luther is a totally bonkers melange of sci-fi scenarios, global doom, and stabbiness.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2018
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Tanyard Hill, located next to Coy Hill, is home to four warehouses built in the early ’60s that also apparently yield barrels with truly bonkers levels of alcohol.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 9 Nov. 2025
Graffiti historian Roger Gastman—who helped orchestrate MOCA’s record-setting Art in the Streets show in 2011—takes over a 40,000-square-foot warehouse on the edge of Chinatown for a totally bonkers street art experience.
—Marielle Wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, 21 June 2018
Hulu’s new show from the creator of Luther is a totally bonkers melange of sci-fi scenarios, global doom, and stabbiness.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bonkers
Adjective
-
Bowe is excited for the 2026 Winter Games — particularly the return to fans in the stands, as they were still barred from attending in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Sean Neumann,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Strassler is particularly excited about the study of radioactive thorium-229 decay, which could reveal variations in the fundamental constants.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
And there’s Harrison Ford, which is insane.—
Senior Television,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
But that’s an indictment of our insane world, not Roher’s filmmaking.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Obermann is especially enthusiastic about the color for a child’s bathroom.—
Marisa Suzanne Martin,
The Spruce,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Selig’s comments received an enthusiastic response from the Coalition for Prediction Markets.—
Contessa Brewer,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The far right just became very mad at me.—
Stephania Taladrid,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
-
But people are mad, and resolute.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Apart from specializing in all things outdoors and adventure travel, Emily is also an avid yogi, wellness fiend, mental health reporter, and food lover, especially if the food in question is artisan ice cream.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Yet the restaurant has kept a firm grip on the imaginations of avid Miami foodies.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But providers might not have enough information available to make a correct diagnosis; an emergency room doctor treating someone experiencing a psychotic episode likely doesn’t have the capacity to know if their diagnosis should be schizophrenia, bipolar I or something else.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Is this lucid state only temporary based on the recent anti-psychotic meds he was given by Kelson?—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Republicans are eager to maintain Latino support in their bid to keep control of Congress.—
Steven Sloan,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
-
About a dozen tots strapped up in their floor length aprons, eager to get messy in the garden, on a brisk winter Texas morning.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Clearly, a straight line can be drawn from Lola to Moira Rose, the maniacal former soap-opera star, wig enthusiast, and erratic wife/mom on Schitt’s Creek (for which Catherine won an Emmy and a Golden Globe).—
Merrill Markoe,
Rolling Stone,
1 Feb. 2026
-
While these names are synonymous with game-time greatness, they’re also remembered for their near-maniacal approach to preparation.—
Shani Harmon,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bonkers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonkers. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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