1
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
It was some surprise to see such chill person become a complete maniac when he got behind the wheel.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lover
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something
I'm a maniac for anything flavored with peppermint
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of maniac
Not the fear of an actor out of her element, or the more mundane fear of a victim being chased around by an ax-wielding maniac.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
That was the only understated thing this certified maniac said or did all night long.
—Ew Staff December 5, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Dec. 2025
Haunted Trail takes visitors outdoors through a path with dense fog and several haunting installations with zombies, a ghoul bus, a graveyard filled with ghosts, chainsaw maniacs and more.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025
Change Halloween to the Fourth of July and a relentless maniac to a hungry shark, and Steven Spielberg's iconic blockbuster might as well be a seabound slasher.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maniac
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
That was the only understated thing this certified maniac said or did all night long.
—Ew Staff December 5, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Dec. 2025
Haunted Trail takes visitors outdoors through a path with dense fog and several haunting installations with zombies, a ghoul bus, a graveyard filled with ghosts, chainsaw maniacs and more.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025
Change Halloween to the Fourth of July and a relentless maniac to a hungry shark, and Steven Spielberg's iconic blockbuster might as well be a seabound slasher.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maniac
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maniac
Noun
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Even then, though, the popular take — the story of the lunatics taking over asylum — didn’t sit right with me.—
Paul Fischer,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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Beating these lunatics was incredible, right?—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Her father describes his daughter as a lover of cooking and all things fashion.—
Terell Bailey,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
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In fact, a friend might become a lover.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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K’Lavon Chaisson is available, too, but paying players after a breakout season is generally a fool’s errand.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
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And only a fool cannot see that the vast majority of Iranians wanted this regime to be removed from their lives.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Her character, the beloved nurse Dana, threatened to quit after she was sucker-punched by a patient during her smoke break.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
6 Mar. 2026
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Removing suckers that appear at the base of the tree and damaged, dead, or diseased wood is important.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Central to that strategy is codename goose, Block’s internally built AI agent that sits on top of large language models to execute actions, draft emails, and automate workflows.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
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The Decathlon’s 800-fill duck down is still high-loft, but costs less than the more expensive goose down.—
Maggie Slepian,
Outside,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Even as busloads of Bruins fans descended on Galen Center, turning USC’s arena into hostile territory, the Trojans showed signs of life early on.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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The first 3,000 fans will receive a crossbody bag.—
Caroline Ritzie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This exclusive, private-use retreat in a former fishing lodge by Hampshire’s River Test is a paradise for dry fly-fishing enthusiasts.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 Mar. 2026
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Aviation enthusiasts spotted the latest plane and took to Reddit to discuss its maneuverings.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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And in news that will surprise absolutely no one familiar with his longevity endeavors, tech entrepreneur and bio-hacking fanatic Bryan Johnson also had penile Botox.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
6 Mar. 2026
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The documentary rides an emotional seesaw, bouncing between moments of despair and elation during interviews dozens of AI fanatics and skeptics.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maniac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maniac. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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