as in whim
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
a frequent victim to the vagrancies of the heart, she had a succession of passionate but short-lived romances
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vagrancy
Rustin served jail time and was posthumously pardoned Rustin was arrested 23 times, including a 1953 conviction in Pasadena, for vagrancy and lewd conduct — charges commonly used then to criminalize LGBTQ+ people.
—
Jaylen Green, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
They were arrested on marijuana and lewd vagrancy charges.
—Victoria Edel, People.com, 18 May 2025
Roughly 12% were of African descent — newly unshackled, technically free and already being legally recaptured under other names: peonage, vagrancy laws, convict leasing.
—Jack Hill, Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2025
All the hallmarks of American poverty — bad food, obesity and urban blight — coalesced in an apocalyptic scene of destitution and vagrancy.
—Andrew Moore, New York Times, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for vagrancy
Jaylen Green, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
They were arrested on marijuana and lewd vagrancy charges.
—Victoria Edel, People.com, 18 May 2025
Roughly 12% were of African descent — newly unshackled, technically free and already being legally recaptured under other names: peonage, vagrancy laws, convict leasing.
—Jack Hill, Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2025
All the hallmarks of American poverty — bad food, obesity and urban blight — coalesced in an apocalyptic scene of destitution and vagrancy.
—Andrew Moore, New York Times, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for vagrancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vagrancy
whim
Noun
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This new agency should get access to NWF dollars and not have to depend on political whims for its funding, as is the case now.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
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While 7 million people showed up for the No Kings protest earlier this month, Democrats still do not control any meaningful power in Washington; the Supreme Court, Congress, and the White House are all proven loyal to Trump’s whims.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vagrancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vagrancy. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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