as in notions
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
on a whim, we stopped at the roadside stand to get ice cream
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Recent Examples of whims
These were not just silly geographical whims, Jessica Winter pointed out at the time.
—
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
The Fed’s independence has been central to the United States’ role as the globe’s preeminent economic power; investors worldwide believe the central bank won’t act on a president’s whims.
—Jackie Calmes, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
This should be five-alarm fire for Wall Street, an institution that owes much of its success to the existence of a US monetary policy nerve center that is, by law and by tradition, insulated from the whims of any one party or politician.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025
However, the unions seem committed to pushing for change regardless of the political whims of the current administration.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
This makes the younger generation more susceptible and vulnerable to falling prey to the whims of a bot.
—The Ai Insider, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2025
In this still-early stage of the AI boom, Silicon Valley, for all its impunity, has chosen not to voice robust ideas about democracy that differ substantively from the whims of a mercurial White House.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2025
But the top lot might be the notorious bell wall, which clattered incessantly to alert the servants to the desires and whims of their employers.
—Air Mail, 23 Aug. 2025
In actor-writer-director Ustinov’s tackling of Herman Melville’s seafaring 18th-century novel, the young stage actor starred as the titular naïve young seaman who suffers under the sadistic whims of his superior Claggart (Robert Ryan) and is eventually falsely accused of a crime.
—Christina Newland, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
The Fed’s independence has been central to the United States’ role as the globe’s preeminent economic power; investors worldwide believe the central bank won’t act on a president’s whims.
—Jackie Calmes, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
This should be five-alarm fire for Wall Street, an institution that owes much of its success to the existence of a US monetary policy nerve center that is, by law and by tradition, insulated from the whims of any one party or politician.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025
However, the unions seem committed to pushing for change regardless of the political whims of the current administration.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
This makes the younger generation more susceptible and vulnerable to falling prey to the whims of a bot.
—The Ai Insider, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2025
In this still-early stage of the AI boom, Silicon Valley, for all its impunity, has chosen not to voice robust ideas about democracy that differ substantively from the whims of a mercurial White House.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2025
But the top lot might be the notorious bell wall, which clattered incessantly to alert the servants to the desires and whims of their employers.
—Air Mail, 23 Aug. 2025
In actor-writer-director Ustinov’s tackling of Herman Melville’s seafaring 18th-century novel, the young stage actor starred as the titular naïve young seaman who suffers under the sadistic whims of his superior Claggart (Robert Ryan) and is eventually falsely accused of a crime.
—Christina Newland, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whims
Noun
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Regardless of fabrics and notions, even separate from subcategories like evening or outerwear, there are some considerations which remain consistent across all apparel design.—
Rachel Elspeth Gross,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Das maintains a nuanced view of his role as a comedian, rejecting grandiose notions about speaking truth to power.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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While Jane Austen is best known for skewering the vagaries of romantic love in her novels, there is another, equally complicated and meaningful type of relationship that runs through them, too — that of siblings.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
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Other PAs are responding to the vagaries of the modern entertainment industry by coming together to unionize.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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These are not fantasies drummed up by the Left despite claims from Paxton and his most ardent supporters.—
Kimberly Ross,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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The answer isn’t to toggle back and forth between going all out and retreating into pastoral fantasies, but to recognize that for everything, there is a season.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whims.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whims. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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