as in insanities
a foolish act or idea
the American purchase of Alaska was originally considered a grand folly
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Recent Examples of follies
Netflix's Bridgerton is a Regency-era series about the romantic follies of the noble Bridgerton family.
—
Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
Without these changes, Californians are probably headed for more fiscal follies in the years ahead.
—Lanhee J. Chen, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
And now the supercilious Ivy League twits try to dodge the consequences of their woke follies.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 24 Dec. 2025
And then the follies of the ensuing play, which supplanted the earlier stand at the very same spot on the field as the most indelible and revealing snapshot of the game.
—Chris Ochsner, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
Asimov's original idea was to conceive a sound system by which humanity's foibles and follies could be traced and tracked over centuries.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2025
His style is Olympian on the surface, the ironic detachment of his pictures casting a cold, curious eye at humanity’s follies and derangements.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025
Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
Without these changes, Californians are probably headed for more fiscal follies in the years ahead.
—Lanhee J. Chen, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
And now the supercilious Ivy League twits try to dodge the consequences of their woke follies.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 24 Dec. 2025
And then the follies of the ensuing play, which supplanted the earlier stand at the very same spot on the field as the most indelible and revealing snapshot of the game.
—Chris Ochsner, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
Asimov's original idea was to conceive a sound system by which humanity's foibles and follies could be traced and tracked over centuries.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2025
His style is Olympian on the surface, the ironic detachment of his pictures casting a cold, curious eye at humanity’s follies and derangements.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for follies
Noun
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Working with Chhaya clients who were facing foreclosure, Mamdani got an intimate look at the little insanities of the city’s housing crisis.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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His brand of humor is designed to create a bond with his audience by telling stories about — and lampooning — the absurdities of everyday life, not by hitting them over the head, figuratively or literally.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Amid these absurdities, Manuel coaxes out the cruelty of the resort’s hierarchies.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Follies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/follies. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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