1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
investing in that company now would be foolery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joking
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
let the kids have a little foolery once in a while
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 foolery
Jeffrey Jones played Principal Ed Rooney, Ferris' nemesis, who is dead set on catching Bueller in his foolery, but ultimately fails at his mission.
—
Emma Urdangen,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
One way to stop this proliferation of deep-fake nudity is to prosecute the offenders and make examples that such foolery has consequences.
—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Lane didn't stop the foolery there, though.
—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
The whole of humanity doesn’t fit tidily into three acts, even assuming as much frame-breaking foolery as Wilder allows.
—
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2022
Political pranking is traditionally thought of as benign foolery targeting the powerful.
—
Stanislav Budnitsky,
The Conversation,
19 Apr. 2022
Eric Andre, Tyler the Creator and Machine Gun Kelly all drop by to participate in the Jack-foolery.
—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
2 Feb. 2022
Our magpie eyes will always be drawn to foolery and ephemera.
—
Giles Hattersley,
Vogue,
13 Dec. 2021
Once every ten years, the first of April assumes a far more significant importance than the annual sharing of April foolery.
—
James Deutsch,
Smithsonian Magazine,
15 Apr. 2020
Emma Urdangen,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
One way to stop this proliferation of deep-fake nudity is to prosecute the offenders and make examples that such foolery has consequences.
—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Lane didn't stop the foolery there, though.
—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
The whole of humanity doesn’t fit tidily into three acts, even assuming as much frame-breaking foolery as Wilder allows.
—
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2022
Political pranking is traditionally thought of as benign foolery targeting the powerful.
—
Stanislav Budnitsky,
The Conversation,
19 Apr. 2022
Eric Andre, Tyler the Creator and Machine Gun Kelly all drop by to participate in the Jack-foolery.
—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
2 Feb. 2022
Our magpie eyes will always be drawn to foolery and ephemera.
—
Giles Hattersley,
Vogue,
13 Dec. 2021
Once every ten years, the first of April assumes a far more significant importance than the annual sharing of April foolery.
—
James Deutsch,
Smithsonian Magazine,
15 Apr. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolery
Noun
-
Piggott was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a trial held a year later.
-
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is calling for the impeachment of the Miami-Dade judge who acquitted a woman by reason of insanity in the 2021 death of her 15-month-old daughter, arguing the ruling threatens public safety.
Noun
-
Oh, but the Padres manager was ready with the joking last night.
-
Still, Yoon’s joking somehow lightens the mood.
Noun
-
That’s the level of idiocy in the Los Angeles city government.
-
The idiocy of these people knows no bounds.
Noun
-
The project has been plagued by technical issues, supplier disputes, and alleged tomfoolery—empty mini tequila bottles were reportedly discovered on one of the airplanes under construction.
-
The latest tomfoolery consisted of a posting on Twitter/X last week that provided a picture of a genuine Monet painting, and the picture was labeled as supposedly being AI-generated.
Noun
-
Swift will either ignore the noise as usual, or smile at the absurdity as a secure, proud childless cat lady.
-
Fireworks, flags and BBQs are Fourth of July staples, but America’s 250th birthday brings an extra helping of absurdity to Coney Island.
Noun
-
Without Roberts in charge, expect the political and racial buffoonery to creep back into the conversation at ESPN.
-
The show, with its interest in corporate buffoonery, doesn’t quite manage to hand-wave away the queasy implications.
Noun
-
In the midst of the final stretch of World Cup madness, here are eight shows happening in Kansas City in July.
-
Either Cody or Gunther wins because Sami gets screwed; Zayn will then further descend into madness and attack someone after the bell.
Noun
-
The clowning might be a little too effortful.
-
As the race unfolds in real time, there’s clowning, collisions, sabotage, surprises, comedy, chaos and more.
Cite this Entry
“Foolery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolery. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
