1
as in mad
unable to think in a clear or sensible way
After learning of the robbery, they were insane with anger and foolishly searched the neighborhood looking for their belongings.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in absurd
conceived or made without regard for reason or reality
a completely insane plan to build an opera house in the middle of nowhere
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3
as in stupid
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
an insane plan to blow all of their savings on lottery tickets
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4
as in excessive
going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount
wanted an insane amount of money to paint our house
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insane
Stewie’s miserable, the other kids are miserable, and even the turtle is miserable…until Stewie begins rolling out his trusty array of devices to take them anywhere in space and time, turning every boring day at school into an insane and surreal adventure.
—
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 11 May 2026
The Knicks keep winning (now heading to the Eastern Conference Finals) and the superfan Ben Stiller keeps gleefully tweeting through it—while also somehow driving the MAGA bots insane.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
This awesome little robovac-mop is literally shaving a full workday a week off her already insane I'm-a-mom schedule.
—Joe Salas
may 09, New Atlas, 9 May 2026
Beyond that criteria, Maggie’s parents didn’t care that John’s girlfriend’s job was insane and ridiculous.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for insane
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 11 May 2026
The Knicks keep winning (now heading to the Eastern Conference Finals) and the superfan Ben Stiller keeps gleefully tweeting through it—while also somehow driving the MAGA bots insane.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
This awesome little robovac-mop is literally shaving a full workday a week off her already insane I'm-a-mom schedule.
—Joe Salas
may 09, New Atlas, 9 May 2026
Beyond that criteria, Maggie’s parents didn’t care that John’s girlfriend’s job was insane and ridiculous.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for insane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insane
Adjective
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There, a mad, out-of-control Mary lives on as tenaciously as George Washington’s inability to tell a lie.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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At this maddest of sporting institutions, that is perhaps the craziest hope of all.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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Unfortunately, in life, there are few greater certainties than eventual statistical regression to the mean; the Broncos are primed for it, after winning an absurd amount of one-score games.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
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The Daily Show making fun of two absurd AI start-ups designed by losers to cater to a loser clientele.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Directed by Nicolas Athane and Marco Nguyen, Jim Queen is a crass, profane, giddily stupid romp through a heap of stereotypes about gay life in Paris.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
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For the record, those students are not stupid.—
Hope Loudon,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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State lawmakers can’t stop federal agents from wearing masks, for instance, so Democrats brought a bill requiring local law enforcement officers to identify themselves — and to intervene if police see a federal agent using excessive force.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
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The two highest-ranking Republicans in the state legislature called Wednesday for former New Britain mayor Erin Stewart to consider dropping out of the governor’s race over reported excessive spending on the city’s credit card.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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John Boyega's ex-Stormtrooper Finn and Han are brothers from another mother, Oscar Isaac's pilot Poe is as cool and refreshing as a tall glass of blue milk, and Adam Driver's Kylo does his best Vader impression as a maniacal villain with some serious emotional issues.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
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No, Kenny Atkinson insisted a bug was taking his voice, not the Detroit Pistons and this maniacal Game 5 victory.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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That is pretty bizarre, given how fantastic both atmospheres have been throughout the playoffs.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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Rather than representing a bizarre evolutionary innovation unique to salamanders, regeneration may actually reflect an ancient trait that many vertebrates once possessed more broadly.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Adjective
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Kristine had a crazy tough-love phase.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
18 May 2026
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People are finding these crazy venues to play.—
Siran Babayan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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The material includes Nazi iconography, extreme misogyny and racist sentiments about Black people and other minority groups, law enforcement officials said.—
Tom Winter,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
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In addition, the extreme naïveté of the Spanish do-gooder lawyer is an out-of-place cliché in a film whose cinematic potency and multifaceted performances testify to Marrakchi’s strengths.—
Jay Weissberg,
Variety,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insane. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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