as in character
a person of odd or whimsical habits
an area of scientific research that's a good niche for social misfits and hard-core head cases
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of head case
My question is, with what AB did to the Raiders, Why would Gruden/Mayock want to take another head case like Jalen Ramsey?
—
Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2019
Brown is the foremost head case and headache in the NFL.
—BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2019
Whiteside has a reputation of being a bit of a head case, and also, in need of motivation.
—oregonlive.com, 1 July 2019
One game Kevin Durant is a head case, the next he’s dialed in.
—Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 June 2018
Grant Goodrich of Cleveland, who heads Case Western Reserve University's Great Lakes Energy Institute, collected $72,192 in the quarter, spent $28,273 and had $48,919 in the bank.
—Sabrina Eaton, cleveland.com, 16 Apr. 2018
Then again, the finale may just add to the mystery, and turn not just a few, but every single character into a head case tortured by strange, traumatic visions and memories.
—Kristi Turnquist, OregonLive.com, 12 Apr. 2018
Neither of the Aboutaam brothers has been charged with any wrongdoing related to any of these investigations or to the bull’s head case.
—Georgi Kantchev, WSJ, 27 Sep. 2017
Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2019
Brown is the foremost head case and headache in the NFL.
—BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2019
Whiteside has a reputation of being a bit of a head case, and also, in need of motivation.
—oregonlive.com, 1 July 2019
One game Kevin Durant is a head case, the next he’s dialed in.
—Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 June 2018
Grant Goodrich of Cleveland, who heads Case Western Reserve University's Great Lakes Energy Institute, collected $72,192 in the quarter, spent $28,273 and had $48,919 in the bank.
—Sabrina Eaton, cleveland.com, 16 Apr. 2018
Then again, the finale may just add to the mystery, and turn not just a few, but every single character into a head case tortured by strange, traumatic visions and memories.
—Kristi Turnquist, OregonLive.com, 12 Apr. 2018
Neither of the Aboutaam brothers has been charged with any wrongdoing related to any of these investigations or to the bull’s head case.
—Georgi Kantchev, WSJ, 27 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head case
Noun
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Here, played by the black actress Karen Bryson, the character is all brains and sass.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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At one point during NCIS' run, de Pablo's character was thought to be dead.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For decades, sovereign citizens largely flew under the radar in Australia as relatively harmless eccentrics with a special interest in conspiracy theories.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
29 Aug. 2025
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Both towns are filled with lovable eccentrics, both treat community as a kind of moral center, and both ask us to consider what decency looks like at the local level.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
There are also two originals by American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
6 Sep. 2025
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Blessedly, the follow-up to The Nun improves on the original in every way.—
Emily Palmer Heller,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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So energy from pedaling is recovered at the crank and converted into electricity to drive a hub motor.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Aug. 2025
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The ensemble cast members are game and deliver spirited, crank-up-the-volume performances, notably the vamping about de Armas and the unravelling and often unclad Law.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Antique furnishings and heirlooms from the Parker family’s time in the home give it character, yet the overall feel is fresh, welcoming, and refreshingly unfussy—a rarity among historic B&Bs.—
Jill Robbins,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
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Plus, there’s a rooftop pool, a rarity in the neighborhood.—
Kate Kassin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Head case.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head%20case. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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