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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Despite that big blunder, McMillan bounced back with his first career touchdown on the next series.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Oct. 2025 -
Against Brent Venables’ otherwise elite defense, Arch Manning had a nicely tidy day, completing 21 of 27 passes with no major blunders and 200 total yards.—
Sam Settleman,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Ed brings great depth and heart to the man in charge of safety for this massive jump, an island of reason in a sea of insanity.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 2025
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At trial, Crawford's attorneys acknowledged his guilt to lay the groundwork for an insanity defense, even though that's not how Crawford wanted to handle the case, according to reporting by the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Advertisement Aster keenly satirizes Joe’s idiocy in the face of social upheaval through the iconography of Westerns.—
Robert Daniels,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
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But my naivete and idiocy about what this was going to take was staggering to me just six months later.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Protesters have slammed the notions and multiple attendees wore inflatable frog and animal costumes to point to the absurdity of the claims of danger.—
Darcie Moran,
Freep.com,
18 Oct. 2025
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These acts of radical playfulness—the inflatable dance parties, the music, the absurdity—have become part of the city’s moral vocabulary.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In his new book, 1929, Sorkin takes the most famous stock crash in history and turns it into a thrilling saga of greed, folly, and despair that resonates with present times.—
Jim Kelly,
Air Mail,
11 Oct. 2025
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No one knows if Altman’s 250-gigawatt plan will prove to be brilliant or folly.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Pynchon’s absurdism is his way of grappling with and undermining the awful too-muchness and stupidity of it all — especially of the American project and its many tentacles.—
Jack Denton,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
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The only reason for this incessant stupidity?—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Bêtise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/b%C3%AAtise. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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