as in insanities
a foolish act or idea
the American purchase of Alaska was originally considered a grand folly
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Recent Examples of follies
And now the supercilious Ivy League twits try to dodge the consequences of their woke follies.
—
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 24 Dec. 2025
The follies of youth can go both ways.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025
And then the follies of the ensuing play, which supplanted the earlier stand at the very same spot on the field as the most indelible and revealing snapshot of the game.
—Chris Ochsner, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
Asimov's original idea was to conceive a sound system by which humanity's foibles and follies could be traced and tracked over centuries.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2025
His style is Olympian on the surface, the ironic detachment of his pictures casting a cold, curious eye at humanity’s follies and derangements.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 24 Dec. 2025
The follies of youth can go both ways.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025
And then the follies of the ensuing play, which supplanted the earlier stand at the very same spot on the field as the most indelible and revealing snapshot of the game.
—Chris Ochsner, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
Asimov's original idea was to conceive a sound system by which humanity's foibles and follies could be traced and tracked over centuries.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2025
His style is Olympian on the surface, the ironic detachment of his pictures casting a cold, curious eye at humanity’s follies and derangements.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for follies
Noun
-
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
-
Rather than focusing solely on superpowers, the series leans into the absurdities and insecurities of the entertainment industry, pulling back the curtain on fame, failure, and second chances.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
5 Jan. 2026
-
The year 2025 has been filled with cultural absurdities.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
14 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Follies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/follies. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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