as in whims
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
the vagaries of a rather eccentric, elderly lady
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Recent Examples of vagaries
Wealth buys choice, leverage, and a cushion for the vagaries of a market economy.
—
Teresa Ghilarducci,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
This is especially true for small businesses, which are particularly vulnerable to the vagaries of California’s most hostile business environment in the nation.
—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
13 June 2026
That makes the policy initiative vulnerable to the vagaries of politics or local budgeting, critics say.
—
Topher Sanders,
ProPublica,
2 June 2026
Fans at the Club World Cup also suffered from the heat, thunderstorms, and the vagaries of FIFA’s dynamic ticket pricing, whereby prices rise and fall according to demand.
—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
As well as the vagaries of the wind, there’s a strong current flowing through the Hudson, sometimes as much as three knots.
—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
The vagaries of the Civil War are also hard to intuit at times.
—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
22 May 2026
Born around 1640, Bembo and her opera remained obscure for centuries, due to the vagaries of her music manuscripts and the historical neglect of women composers.
—
Claire Fontijn,
The Conversation,
18 May 2026
There were plenty of ordinary and dismissive explanations for what had happened, all related to the vagaries of the brain.
—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Teresa Ghilarducci,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
This is especially true for small businesses, which are particularly vulnerable to the vagaries of California’s most hostile business environment in the nation.
—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
13 June 2026
That makes the policy initiative vulnerable to the vagaries of politics or local budgeting, critics say.
—
Topher Sanders,
ProPublica,
2 June 2026
Fans at the Club World Cup also suffered from the heat, thunderstorms, and the vagaries of FIFA’s dynamic ticket pricing, whereby prices rise and fall according to demand.
—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
As well as the vagaries of the wind, there’s a strong current flowing through the Hudson, sometimes as much as three knots.
—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
The vagaries of the Civil War are also hard to intuit at times.
—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
22 May 2026
Born around 1640, Bembo and her opera remained obscure for centuries, due to the vagaries of her music manuscripts and the historical neglect of women composers.
—
Claire Fontijn,
The Conversation,
18 May 2026
There were plenty of ordinary and dismissive explanations for what had happened, all related to the vagaries of the brain.
—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vagaries
whims
Noun
-
Even the richest emperors of the past did not have the ability to satisfy their whims that is now possessed by any student in Chicago or Berlin or Kinshasa.
-
Existing grants, meanwhile, can be terminated at the whims of the administration.
Cite this Entry
“Vagaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vagaries. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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