1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
the American purchase of Alaska was originally considered a grand folly
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment
in all my folly, I didn't think about how my actions would hurt my father
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
enough of this folly about moving to the Australian outback
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of folly
Nye County’s folly is just one example of a pattern that is remarkably consistent: outside of the tiniest jurisdictions, hand counting is hard, slow, expensive, and highly unreliable.
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Philip Elliott, TIME, 9 Oct. 2024
The Republican rout on November 5, 2024, is seen as an example of Americans standing up to the fiscal folly of the left.
—Mike Patton, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
The fact that such an error feels inconsequential amid all the special teams follies the Niners have committed this season speaks volumes.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024
Much of that also surely paid to expand Hamas’ mammoth underground fortress, now estimated at some 500 miles of tunnels, where Israeli soldiers and hostages have paid with their lives for Netanyahu’s folly.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for folly 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for folly
Noun
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The legal team for Ryan Routh, the man accused of trying to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course in September, is considering an insanity defense.Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024
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That’s still a bit shy, though, of the insanity that surrounded Stanley cups at their peak.Chris Morris, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024
Noun
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But what of the apologists for madness and criminality, the comfortable sophists who invert morality to score partisan points?Matthew Continetti, National Review, 14 Dec. 2024
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Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths Plenty of 2024 movies were of the mind that the only way to respond to a world gone mad is with more madness.Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The art world, like the artwork itself, exists in a delicate balance of elitism and absurdity, meaning and nonsense.Natalie Stoclet, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
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The basic idea here is that Vince Vaughn is doing his mid-aughts-dirtbag Vince Vaughn thing but on Christmas — a premise that’s laid on a foundation of plausible-sounding nonsense.Katie Rife, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Some bills memorably illustrated the absurdity of a system that turns ordinary mishaps into extraordinary revenues.Elisabeth Rosenthal, NPR, 20 Dec. 2024
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For me, at least, the best part of the sketch is all of the wordless expressions taking in the absurdity of everything.Devon Ivie, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Embracing Simplicity In Modern Solutions Modern hardware capabilities allow for a paradigm shift toward simplicity.Avery Pennarun, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
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The track’s production, helmed by DJ Pooh, achieves emotional depth through masterful simplicity.Walaa Elsiddig, Billboard, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Navalny’s memoir deftly exposes the infinite vices in the current Russian government that rewards venality, cowardice and stupidity but punishes integrity, brains and the courage to speak truth to power.Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 15 Nov. 2024
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That may not be a huge sum of money in a county with an annual operating budget of nearly $5 billion, but it’s got to rank high in sheer stupidity or at least neglect.Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 13 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The problem is not the companies but the system, whose foolishness is very clear to those, like me, who have spent decades abroad.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
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The Lakers were, again, the Lakers — the version from early this season that made optimism seem nothing like foolishness.Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The best choices for you and the planet Another important omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, is found in nuts and seeds such as walnuts, flaxseeds and chia seeds — with ground flaxseeds and flaxseed oil providing the highest amounts, according to Harvard Medical School’s website.Sandee LaMotte, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
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Try sprinkling ground flaxseed or chia seeds on granola and yogurt, and snack on small quantities of nuts during the day.Sandee LaMotte, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near folly
Cite this Entry
“Folly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/folly. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.
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