fool 1 of 3

Definition of foolnext
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as in clown
a person formerly kept in a royal or noble household to amuse with jests and pranks a king's fool could get away with saying things that others in the palace couldn't

Synonyms & Similar Words

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fool

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adjective

fool

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verb

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 fool
Noun
Types of Dogwood Trees Dogwood is hardy from the Upper Midwest down to the Gulf Coast, but don't let the wide range fool you. Steve Bender, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026 Most people would kill for a Susie in their lives, and Margo is a fool to take her for granted. Erin Qualey, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
But anyone in the auto industry who didn’t feel like something was going to happen in China five years ago was fooling themselves. Jamie Lincoln Kitman, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026 On Gen Z, both executives emphasized that the generation is nearly impossible to fool. Kennedy French, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fool
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fool
Noun
  • Friends with a sudden devotion to nature begin making plans to convene in parks; TurboTax becomes your closest email companion; your risk of injury at the hands of a lunatic on a City Bike, haunted by the memory of a New Year’s resolution to exercise, may increase.
    Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio wasn’t far behind, saying the war is being waged against religious lunatics.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • There’s some Streisand, too, and a big dose of Andrea Martin, specifically Martin’s signature SCTV character Edith Prickley, that bawdy, gawdy ham with all the bravado of a Catskills clown.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Once completed, the $5 million acquisition will ensure the theater has a permanent home, a place where skateboarding clowns and leek-haired onions can continue to frolic and dance for decades to come.
    Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Snip upright suckers and water sprouts that zap the tree’s energy.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026
  • But to think that suckers get an even break when insiders have information that assures them of winning is folly.
    William Mersey, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • If Florida is worried about China’s rise, dismantling educational and cultural exchanges is a foolish response.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
  • But the Stars should be trying to goad the Wild into foolish penalties.
    Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • This intent to deceive constituents has been obvious since February.
    U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Rashid deceived Padikkal with a perfect googly while Kohli dragged jason Holder’s slower ball onto his stumps.
    ABC News, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • As an elder, Mellencamp often jokes about how many tours he was fired from in his salad days, usually because the headlining acts (KISS, REO Speedwagon, British hard rock act Rainbow) and their audiences didn’t take to his kiss-off attitude and misfit energy.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Jonas, who made his Broadway debut at age nine, isn’t joking about all the time she’s spent in the spotlight.
    Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • For brassicas, watch for cabbage worms, flea beetles, and harlequin bugs.
    Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Man Ray painted a harlequin with a candlelit lantern for a head in 1939, taking direct inspiration from Schiaparelli’s Harlequin coat from her Modern Comedy collection, launched in October 1938.
    Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Some, like Chloe’s triad, are all lovers.
    Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Some Disney lovers worry the small back walkway near Country Bear Musical Jamboree, a longtime sit-down attraction, could close as Frontierland shifts toward the Piston Peak setting, the blogs reported.
    Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Fool.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

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