as in insanity
lack of good sense or judgment
what zaniness possessed you to take a mental health day when you knew that the head honcho would be visiting?
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Recent Examples of zaniness
As was the case in the first season as well, the finale escalates to a place of thrilling zaniness, with a little less ultimate emotional gravitas this time around.
—
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
But the draft traditionally ratchets up quarterback zaniness.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Some critics found the zaniness of Bale’s ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’ number (an homage to Mel Brooks comedy Young Frankenstein) hysterically brilliant, while others didn’t get the joke.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2026
Plenty of moments on The Fall-Off remind of the hunger of his early mixtapes, the purposeful thrills of his 2010s hits, or even the misguided zaniness of KOD, though none materialize in meaningful doses.
—Benny Sun, Pitchfork, 10 Feb. 2026
The frothy zaniness was, of course, one of Barry’s Hollywood calling cards, but there always were serious themes submerged underneath.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The ensemble comedy garnered critical praise for its steady stream of zaniness and quickly gained a reputation for deftly skewering suburban life while still maintaining a general sweetness of tone.
—Will Harris, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
Animated by an irreverent zaniness, Egger’s poetry fuses elements drawn from contemporary idiom and from lyric tradition to render a surreal world that interrogates existential questions about desire and grief.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Crowds jumped, chanted and leaned into the sense of communal rebellion, all while celebrating the band's zaniness.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
But the draft traditionally ratchets up quarterback zaniness.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Some critics found the zaniness of Bale’s ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’ number (an homage to Mel Brooks comedy Young Frankenstein) hysterically brilliant, while others didn’t get the joke.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2026
Plenty of moments on The Fall-Off remind of the hunger of his early mixtapes, the purposeful thrills of his 2010s hits, or even the misguided zaniness of KOD, though none materialize in meaningful doses.
—Benny Sun, Pitchfork, 10 Feb. 2026
The frothy zaniness was, of course, one of Barry’s Hollywood calling cards, but there always were serious themes submerged underneath.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The ensemble comedy garnered critical praise for its steady stream of zaniness and quickly gained a reputation for deftly skewering suburban life while still maintaining a general sweetness of tone.
—Will Harris, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
Animated by an irreverent zaniness, Egger’s poetry fuses elements drawn from contemporary idiom and from lyric tradition to render a surreal world that interrogates existential questions about desire and grief.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Crowds jumped, chanted and leaned into the sense of communal rebellion, all while celebrating the band's zaniness.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zaniness
Noun
-
She was found not responsible by reason of insanity and remanded to mental health treatment.—
Selina Guevara,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Many of us have spent the past 15 months focused on chaos and bouts of incredulity, if not insanity.—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Either way, madness can’t be normalized with more madness.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
-
There is a method to the madness.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Staples of French cuisine, these dishes are beloved for their elegant simplicity — and are must‑tries for any foodie.—
Toni Odejimi,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
-
People really love her silent simplicity in a lot of ways.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Gleefully ludicrous and committed to its own absurdity, this ensemble comedy earns every outrageous laugh.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
-
One takes a scathing look at the absurdities of the American healthcare industry, while the other reinforces the season’s nature-out-of-balance themes.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But while March Madness may be over, there was plenty of April craziness in store this week, so let’s get into the news.—
Grace Miserocchi,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
-
After Thursday night’s Charlotte craziness, in which both ACC Tournament quarterfinals in the evening session were decided by a single point, Friday night instead brought back-to-back blowouts, as Virginia rolled past Miami in the first game.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Speaking of which, the soundtrack also overdoses a bit on the calculated wackiness of vintage cuts by Bonzo Dog Band, the Monty Python-adjacent 1960s British novelty music act.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
-
There’s absolutely skill involved, but there’s also a lot of wackiness there, too, with random bounces deciding which teams get breakaways or odd-man rushes.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zaniness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zaniness. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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