fool 1 of 3

Definition of foolnext
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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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fool

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adjective

fool

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verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fool
Noun
Trouble was, that season proved to be more fool’s gold than foundational. Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026 This fool-proof outfit is comfortable and fashionable. Christina Perrier, InStyle, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
Trump proves experts got fooled again. FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026 The quick shot that fooled Wallstedt was MacKinnon’s NHL-leading 43rd of the season. Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fool
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fool
Noun
  • Even then, though, the popular take — the story of the lunatics taking over asylum — didn’t sit right with me.
    Paul Fischer, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Beating these lunatics was incredible, right?
    Joey Garrison, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Christopher Kosakowski, United States, 2025 A circus clown celebrating his birthday alone receives a mysterious gift box harboring an antique zoetrope that spins his world into mayhem.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026
  • The same clown who is owned by Vladimir Putin.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Non-native species like grass carp and common carp, and native blue sucker, bigmouth buffalo, black buffalo, and smallmouth buffalo, have occasionally been mistaken for black carp.
    Cheyenne Derksen, Oklahoman, 18 Mar. 2026
  • One of the largest suckers in North America, the Razorback Sucker can grow up to three feet long.
    Christa Swanson, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Your fast response and decisive actions prevented this foolish criminal act from endangering the rest of the county.
    Christa Swanson, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
  • The limited series feels equally foolish, down to its last line of narration.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Nope, that's not your eyes deceiving you.
    Christina Perrier, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Months after the girl had died, a DCF worker investigating a complaint related to Torres-García’s younger sister was deceived by the children’s mother during a video chat with a person the child’s mother asked to impersonate the child, according to the agency.
    Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Social media doesn’t help by simply mocking all this serious political unrest with memes joking about World War III.
    Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Gosling, 45, joked during a virtual press conference.
    Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • If the Brits are anything to go by, feather boas and harlequin jumpsuits are out, and French-girl flats are in.
    Alice Newbold, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2026
  • Rather than the usual crisscross pattern, Holmes’ sweater features solid block diamonds in bold colors for a harlequin look that is honestly a breath of fresh air.
    Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Despite morale-sapping staff layoffs, bizarre executive orders and a 43-day federal government shutdown last fall, the grandeur and serenity of national parks in California remain irresistible to outdoors lovers looking to unwind.
    Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026
  • The cleanest cruise ships have been revealed in a new study — and some of the findings may surprise cruise lovers.
    Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 14 Mar. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Fool.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.

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