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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Recent Examples of vagrancy
The rise in vagrancy, open drug use, aggressive panhandling, indecent exposure and public health hazards have made downtown residents feel increasingly unsafe in their own city.
—
Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 11 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for vagrancy
Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 11 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for vagrancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vagrancy
whim
Noun
-
Since the beginning of this administration, Silicon Valley’s biggest bosses have appeased the president, capitulating to his every whim — agreeing to pay export taxes, giving away equity to the government, defunding schools for Latino students and ending diversity programs.—
Mercury News & East Bay Times editorial,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
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Lawrence propels herself through space like a woman possessed, and Ramsay underscores her mysterious inner drive with music and rhythm, letting songs illustrate Grace’s moods and whims, from the innocent to the romantic to the punishing.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vagrancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vagrancy. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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