1
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
only a fool would attempt to climb that mountain unprepared
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clown
a person formerly kept in a royal or noble household to amuse with jests and pranks
a king's fool could get away with saying things that others in the palace couldn't
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3
as in sucker
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something
I'm a fool for ice cream
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in foolish
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
he's always got some fool plan or other
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to deceive
to cause to believe what is untrue
I fooled him into thinking that we were driving to the store, not to his surprise birthday party
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to joke
to make jokes
an edgy comedian fooling with an appreciative college audience
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fool
Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Here’s why the whole enterprise might be a fool’s errand.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 9 Sep. 2025
Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
After driving his team to the 1-yard line, Fields fooled the entire Steelers defense on a fourth down, faking a handoff and then high-stepping into the end zone untouched to take a 32-31 lead.
—Mike Defabo, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fool
Noun
Traditional software is often cheaper, faster and more reliable when a solution is rules-based and needs fool-proof outputs.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Here’s why the whole enterprise might be a fool’s errand.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
Hurricanes explained by Ginger Zee Don't be fooled by the lack of tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Basin.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
After driving his team to the 1-yard line, Fields fooled the entire Steelers defense on a fourth down, faking a handoff and then high-stepping into the end zone untouched to take a 32-31 lead.
—Mike Defabo, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fool
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fool
Noun
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Whether those people are sickened by grief and rage into a kind of temporary insanity, genuine lunatics, hustlers looking to milk a little more engagement or some combination of the three doesn’t really matter.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Normies, apparently, refers to everyone who is not a bat-scat left-wing lunatic.—
Nolan Finley,
Twin Cities,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But the tax benefit will also extend to gambling dealers, clowns, DJs, entertainers, content creators, maids, electricians, plumbers, babysitters, drivers and more.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
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Thank you to Netflix for giving me the opportunity to whoop this clown!—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The team in green silenced a sea of red and white with a sucker-punch of a goal from a set-play.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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The piano pop legend is a sucker for things that go bling, but his latest pieces are not for the faint of heart.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The pattern of blaming star players, whether Cristiano Ronaldo or Marcus Rashford, is looking foolish, and the side has plummeted in form.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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That’s penny wise, not pour foolish.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
September can deceive like a knuckleball.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Sep. 2025
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Predatory resellers - including Live Nation itself - should no longer be allowed to gouge and deceive fans under the guise of access to live music.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Below, how late-night hosts Meyers, Colbert, Jon Stewart, and Fallon reacted to — and joked about — Kimmel’s suspension.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
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The message comes just a few days after Durant and his agent Rich Kleiman joked about the predicament at CNBC's Game Plan conference in Los Angeles.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Learn more about management options and which food plants are most susceptible to this insect in our harlequin bug on vegetables web page.—
Miri Talabac,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Pity the poor actor who has to co-star opposite a 150-pound harlequin Great Dane.—
Peter Rainer,
Christian Science Monitor,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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An award-winning name in American whiskey, Elijah Craig continues to honor its heritage while innovating with releases that whiskey lovers eagerly anticipate.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
22 Sep. 2025
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Mistresses and lovers corrupt the scene just as much as physical ailments do.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fool.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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