1
as in whim
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
an out-of-character caprice led him to take the day off from work and go to the beach
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in impulsiveness
an inclination to sudden illogical changes of mind, ideas, or actions
his knack for picking racetrack winners appears to owe as much to caprice as it does to a canny assessment of horseflesh
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of caprice
Some are desperate to look like players by moving into the various Overton windows stretched by Trumpian caprice.
—
Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2026
Every day, by caprice, the lives of ordinary, law-abiding people—our neighbors—are being destroyed.
—Erin Neil, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Companies that once worried primarily about exchange rates and regulatory compliance now face a bewildering array of threats: trade wars, sanctions, export controls, nationalist boycotts, and the caprices of populist leaders who prize political theater over economic rationality.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 18 Jan. 2026
Much of Trump’s governance reflects his own moral and political caprice.
—Anthony Dominguez, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for caprice
Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2026
Every day, by caprice, the lives of ordinary, law-abiding people—our neighbors—are being destroyed.
—Erin Neil, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Companies that once worried primarily about exchange rates and regulatory compliance now face a bewildering array of threats: trade wars, sanctions, export controls, nationalist boycotts, and the caprices of populist leaders who prize political theater over economic rationality.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 18 Jan. 2026
Much of Trump’s governance reflects his own moral and political caprice.
—Anthony Dominguez, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for caprice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caprice
Noun
-
And few issues provide more difficulties in implementing his changing whims than a war in the Middle East.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Every deportation should be based on immigration law, not the whims of ICE nor those of the president.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ortiz and Brown take on Bebo and Lola portraying the impulsiveness of youth, exacerbated, particularly in Bebo’s case, by poverty and limited options to make his way in the world.—
Carlos Aguilar,
IndieWire,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Montse is intuition, strength, impulsiveness and heart.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Whether out of arrogance, capriciousness, or collective amnesia, this recent history was ignored.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The capriciousness of fate was not lost on Karstens and many of the survivors.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
23 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Caprice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caprice. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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