1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
the American purchase of Alaska was originally considered a grand folly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment
in all my folly, I didn't think about how my actions would hurt my father
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
enough of this folly about moving to the Australian outback
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of folly
The chaos in the bond markets after Trump’s tariff announcements in April showed that there is waning confidence in U.S. stability and power.
Consider the folly of Trump’s treatment of Australia.
—
Malcolm Turnbull, Foreign Affairs, 6 June 2025
Situated between a residential home and a pastoral western garden, the folly serves as both a literal and symbolic gateway.
—New Atlas, 25 June 2025
As a result, even if the Supreme Court rules that the Administration has exceeded its authority, the current tariff follies will likely persist.
—Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Mulaney, in a similar vein, seems to be either forever mocking Netflix for this folly or still trying to sell the premise of the show, even as the network pours in however many millions already committed.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Malcolm Turnbull, Foreign Affairs, 6 June 2025
Situated between a residential home and a pastoral western garden, the folly serves as both a literal and symbolic gateway.
—New Atlas, 25 June 2025
As a result, even if the Supreme Court rules that the Administration has exceeded its authority, the current tariff follies will likely persist.
—Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Mulaney, in a similar vein, seems to be either forever mocking Netflix for this folly or still trying to sell the premise of the show, even as the network pours in however many millions already committed.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for folly
Noun
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On June 11, Lopez withdrew a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
8 July 2025
-
Stines is scheduled to undergo a psychiatric evaluation this month, with the defense preparing to pursue an insanity or extreme emotional disturbance defense.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 June 2025
Noun
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Eight is a cursed number, and this is the eighth day of madness.—
Fatemeh Shams
June 30,
Literary Hub,
30 June 2025
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Lee’s sensitive, evolving turn as Gi-hun — deeply human amid the madness, paranoia and murder set in bright green and pink surroundings — has made the character the ideal litmus test for Hwang’s critique of an economic system designed to produce titanic winners and losers who face annihilation.—
Michael Ordoña,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
Noun
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That's nonsense… and anyone who's been a part of these productions knows that IN FACT the opposite is true.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
9 July 2025
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The song was essentially one long joke about animal noises, and once the joke wore off, what remained was an insanely repetitive chorus of nonsense.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Noun
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As stocks surge, Chanos has been warning of other market absurdities including the proliferation of Bitcoin treasury companies which raise money to buy and hold the cryptocurrency.—
Glen Luke Flanagan,
Fortune,
30 June 2025
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In his high-energy hour, featuring plenty of material and crowd work alike, which was taped at the Neptune Theatre in Seattle, WA, Jackson tackles everything from racially questionable cookies to other everyday absurdities.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
16 June 2025
Noun
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To stand and hold a place in simplicity is one of the most difficult things for any performer to do.—
Guillermo Perez,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2025
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The Wicked star loves the sonic drama of the track, in spite of its lyrical simplicity.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
2 July 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, doubling down on stupidity, the Democrats attacked Trump for eliminating—or at least setting back—Iran’s capacity to complete construction and delivery of nuclear bombs.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
4 July 2025
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That’s either extreme confidence or extraordinary stupidity, or some combination.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2025
Noun
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Much odder is that red states aren’t taking the blue states up on an arrangement that to some degree erects a fence around economic foolishness.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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Such utter foolishness, by another blind leading the blind, liberal democrat.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
10 June 2025
Noun
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Use it to find and retrieve stray nuts or bolts in any crevice.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2025
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Vegetables like broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, kale and asparagus are also included in most low-carb diets—as are eggs, cheese, Greek yogurt and nuts like walnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts and pistachios.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Folly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/folly. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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