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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Animated characters like Tony the Tiger, Count Chocula and Fred Flintstone blurred the line between ads and morning cartoons.—
Alice Callahan,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The novel can get busy—Taylor introduces each of Wyeth’s studio mates in the first chapter, then all but abandons half of them to squeeze in more significant characters—but there’s a warmth in the overcrowding.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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For Mimi Pond, the desire to do a book about the Mitford sisters – six larger-than-life British eccentrics (and one brother) who created a stir in both British and American culture – was obvious.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
5 Sep. 2025
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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
Noun
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The hedges surrounding the UGA football field today might not be the exact same shrubs from 96 years ago, but they’ve been propagated from the originals planted in 1929, preserving the continuity and lineage.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
18 Oct. 2025
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Released in 2023 with Cooper himself fronting the campaign, the aptly named Tambour Steel is a sporty riff on the 2002 original.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Hand crank radio Hurricanes, like any weather pattern, are unpredictable.—
Jillian Dara,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Oct. 2025
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Far from being uninformed cranks, many of the people embracing Luddism grew up with smartphones and know all too well how enticing (and overwhelming) the technology can be.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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With these awards, BAFTA also reasserts its interest in awarding video games and their creators, still a rarity in the usual awards space.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
11 Oct. 2025
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Uniacke, who has two shops on Pimlico Road, is a rarity in the design world.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Head case.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head%20case. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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