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
Florida law should not be conformed to Israel’s whims on that matter.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
But it may also be remembered as the moment where Europe broke away from the United States, exasperated by a world run solely by hard American power at the whims of an ever imperial presidency.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, the state is seeing the fallout from the Legislature’s prior indulgence of the governor’s political whims.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
The northern lights appeared to fill the entire sky, saturating the scene with vivid curtains of color dancing to the whims of Earth's magnetic field.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Therein lies the conundrum of the show — Gizelle is the most propulsive member of the cast and its anchoring force, and without Karen in play to really keep her in check, the vibe and tenor of the cast accommodates her whims.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 19 Jan. 2026
For now, private astronomy will likely hinge on the whims of extremely wealthy individuals.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 14 Jan. 2026
Not as freaks to be studied from afar, mimicked, and exploited for other people’s creative whims or amusement, but as complex and whole parts of the world worth exploring and celebrating.
—Sarah Kurchak, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Beyond immigration, Miller specializes in turning the president’s whims and rantings into government policy.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
But it may also be remembered as the moment where Europe broke away from the United States, exasperated by a world run solely by hard American power at the whims of an ever imperial presidency.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, the state is seeing the fallout from the Legislature’s prior indulgence of the governor’s political whims.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
The northern lights appeared to fill the entire sky, saturating the scene with vivid curtains of color dancing to the whims of Earth's magnetic field.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Therein lies the conundrum of the show — Gizelle is the most propulsive member of the cast and its anchoring force, and without Karen in play to really keep her in check, the vibe and tenor of the cast accommodates her whims.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 19 Jan. 2026
For now, private astronomy will likely hinge on the whims of extremely wealthy individuals.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 14 Jan. 2026
Not as freaks to be studied from afar, mimicked, and exploited for other people’s creative whims or amusement, but as complex and whole parts of the world worth exploring and celebrating.
—Sarah Kurchak, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Beyond immigration, Miller specializes in turning the president’s whims and rantings into government policy.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whims
Noun
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There is also the eternal question of whether designers should create clothes for truly living in, or whether they should be encouraged to think big and present more complicated pieces that challenge everyday notions of style and taste.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
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Online, some drew parallels between the heartwrenching moment, which muddies up notions of consent, to an earlier scene in the series, where Carol reveals her mother sent her to conversion therapy camp.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Today, every country’s economy is tied to others, but a small nation that’s as historically dependent on trade as Denmark seems particularly vulnerable to Trump’s caprices.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Anyone who has watched Survivor knows vagaries are the enemy of success, and ultimately the ringleader of Glam, Ciara, still goes down this week.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
-
That’s your choice to prioritize more dependable success over bragging rights for coaxing a half dead super-choice plant through the vagaries of a yo-yo bit of winter.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Mauritanian survivor Koumba Diabaté enacts a beat-for-beat recreation of his Casino Royale fantasies in the Imperial Sky Villa of the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Jan. 2026
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Now, with its fantasies of mass deportation, the British National Party was tapping into a four-hundred-year-old darkness.—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In The Girlfriend, the truth is malleable, open to change based on our biases, judgments, whimsies, and desires.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whims.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whims. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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