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
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
The past week has seen many decrying the folly of government picking winners in business.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
The folly of fake coins Counterfeit coins have long been a thorn in the side of the numismatic world and federal authorities.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
The Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, betrayed the folly of this policy.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025
The past week has seen many decrying the folly of government picking winners in business.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
The folly of fake coins Counterfeit coins have long been a thorn in the side of the numismatic world and federal authorities.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
The Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, betrayed the folly of this policy.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for folly
Noun
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More Sargent/Getty Images The sheer insanity of how fast the ball got out of the ballpark captivated a worldwide audience.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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With the ambulance only eight minutes away from Hind, Omar sees only insanity in the way the situation stretches into an hours-long ordeal.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And a bit of Saturday madness, granted most of that came 400 miles away.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
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There is a method to the madness, multiple sources say.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This smacks of fake tough guy nonsense.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
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And then a lot of nonsense, which comes with the script.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In terms that viewers of the original series might understand, Esmeralda falls somewhere between the tyranny of Michael Scott, the absurdity of Dwight Schrute, and the self-involvement of Kelly Kapoor with a particular charisma that only Impacciatore could pull off.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
4 Sep. 2025
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Still, Daniels and Koman drew on real research to capture the rhythms and absurdities of newsroom life.—
Andy Meek,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Was one of Forest’s virtues last season their relative simplicity, which will now be disrupted?—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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For now, the company is betting that simplicity will appeal to customers.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That’s off-the-scale stupidity.—
Jason Mastrodonato,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
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So in the midst of poverty imposed by the American embargo and the frequent stupidity of their own government, Cubans struggle to eke out a life.—
Charles Hammer,
Kansas City Star,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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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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The foolishness of the governor’s gibe was underscored by the progressive, staunchly anti-Trump Democratic mayor of San Jose.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
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So, with this progressive effort hitting the trifecta of foolishness, hypocrisy, and dishonesty, how could there possibly be a silver lining?—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Folly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/folly. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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