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craze

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word craze distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of craze are fad, fashion, mode, rage, style, and vogue. While all these words mean "the usage accepted by those who want to be up-to-date," rage and craze stress intense enthusiasm in adopting a fad.

Cajun food was the rage nearly everywhere for a time
crossword puzzles once seemed just a passing craze but have lasted

When is fad a more appropriate choice than craze?

The meanings of fad and craze largely overlap; however, fad suggests caprice in taking up or in dropping a fashion.

last year's fad is over

When is it sensible to use fashion instead of craze?

Although the words fashion and craze have much in common, fashion is the most general term and applies to any way of dressing, behaving, writing, or performing that is favored at any one time or place.

the current fashion

In what contexts can mode take the place of craze?

In some situations, the words mode and craze are roughly equivalent. However, mode suggests the fashion of the moment among those anxious to appear elegant and sophisticated.

slim bodies are the mode at this resort

When can style be used instead of craze?

The words style and craze are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, style often implies a distinctive fashion adopted by people of taste.

a media baron used to traveling in style

Where would vogue be a reasonable alternative to craze?

While in some cases nearly identical to craze, vogue stresses the wide acceptance of a fashion.

short skirts are back in vogue

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of craze
Noun
The latest craze started in early July with the stock of Opendoor Technologies, an online real-estate, increasing 600% thanks to social media attention. Zoe Cummings, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025 In 1781, Joseph Wright left London for Paris, where the Franco-American alliance had created a craze for all things American. Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
Verb
The exclamatory marketing epitomizes the desire of folks to post filtered photos of themselves on social media, connecting with millions who craze this basic connection to some semblance of the art world. Natasha Gural, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2021 Anderson is one of a select few managers from whom La Russa learned, although that was supplemented by his interest in statistics well before the sabermetrics craze. Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, 29 Oct. 2020 See All Example Sentences for craze
Recent Examples of Synonyms for craze
Noun
  • The violent scene the world watched in those videos bears little resemblance to the violence Cincinnati police officers most often encounter on patrol, and the rhetoric on social media about soaring crime rates and rampaging mobs doesn’t reflect short- or long-term trends in the city’s crime data.
    Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Meanwhile, slouchy pleated chinos, sweater vests, loafers and neckties—worn in conventional and unconventional ways—added a grandfatherly look to the trend.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The media frenzy about GLP-1 agonists hadn't yet started.
    Mara Gordon, NPR, 24 Apr. 2025
  • In season six, these controversies extended to the way the show depicted Mohamed Al-Fayed, all but accusing him of setting up the paparazzi frenzy that led to the deaths of Diana and his son, Dodi.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 15 June 2024
Noun
  • The latests deaths included three residents of long-term care facilities in Dallas, as well as a Balch Springs man in his 20s and a Dallas man in his 60s.
    Dana Branham, Dallas News, 30 Apr. 2020
  • That equates to more than 45 million Americans using CBD products, based on latest available U.S. Census estimates.
    Brendan Bures, chicagotribune.com, 2 Oct. 2019
Verb
  • The article includes a fancy-looking formula central to the algorithm, but the formula is nearly impossible to decipher since the authors didn’t bother to explain half the symbols in it.
    Noah Giansiracusa, Time, 7 Aug. 2025
  • If a body is here, whoever buried it didn’t bother digging deep, because there’s no fear of getting caught.
    Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The Facelift Gets a Facelift: Hollywood’s Favorite Procedure is Back Good old-fashioned skin stretching is once more in vogue — and costs up to six figures.
    James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2025
  • Cursive has been out of vogue for 15 years, after schools began adopting a Common Core curriculum, which de-emphasized the writing style.
    Chris Morris, Fortune, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • The Rainmaker is a taut thriller driven by relentless cynicism toward the state of the legal profession and simmering rage at the state of the health insurance industry.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
  • As protests rage at home, Iran's theocratic government is increasingly flexing its military muscle abroad.
    Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Institutional enthusiasm for digital assets is rising, and the U.S. regulatory climate has grown friendlier, even as the economics of mining face more pressure from bitcoin’s quadrennial halving.
    Becca Bratcher, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Time will tell whether ASI’s enthusiasm was ultimately strategic or premature.
    Ruxandra Iordache, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Shane Devon Tamura, 27, stormed into 345 Park Avenue on July 28 armed with an AR-15 style rifle, and carried out the city’s deadliest mass shooting in 25 years.
    Amanda Jackson, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
  • O’Sullivan’s work follows countless other books on Swift’s business moves, songwriting, style choices and everything else in between.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 6 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Craze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/craze. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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