as in notions
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
on a whim, we stopped at the roadside stand to get ice cream
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Recent Examples of whims
With eight expiring contracts on their books, they were bound to see this volume of turnover — either under their control at the deadline or at the whims of players over the summer.
—
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
The island nation, vulnerable to the whims of the Atlantic, has officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Danish firm Wavepiston to turn those crashing swells into a 50 MW power source.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
In contrast, executive orders are the whims of a single person.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
The similarities between the two presidential regimes, where the whims of a central figure hold immense power, were unmistakable.
—Kaya Genç, The Dial, 3 Feb. 2026
The state already sees the fallout from the Legislature’s past indulgence of the governor’s whims.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
The Italians fought and lost to Robert Moses’s wrecking whims; Puerto Ricans who could fled to Jersey for the privilege of a backyard.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
The food finally lands with the guests, their dumb whims having been appeased.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2026
The Catholic Church, for a time, saw no reason to surrender its finest young larynxes to the whims of puberty—not when castration was an option.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
The island nation, vulnerable to the whims of the Atlantic, has officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Danish firm Wavepiston to turn those crashing swells into a 50 MW power source.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
In contrast, executive orders are the whims of a single person.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
The similarities between the two presidential regimes, where the whims of a central figure hold immense power, were unmistakable.
—Kaya Genç, The Dial, 3 Feb. 2026
The state already sees the fallout from the Legislature’s past indulgence of the governor’s whims.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
The Italians fought and lost to Robert Moses’s wrecking whims; Puerto Ricans who could fled to Jersey for the privilege of a backyard.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
The food finally lands with the guests, their dumb whims having been appeased.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2026
The Catholic Church, for a time, saw no reason to surrender its finest young larynxes to the whims of puberty—not when castration was an option.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whims
Noun
-
Bomi, 23, who entered seeking his first boyfriend, found his idealized notions challenged.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Will Liz’s romantic notions help her win Michael or Wes?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Today, every country’s economy is tied to others, but a small nation that’s as historically dependent on trade as Denmark seems particularly vulnerable to Trump’s caprices.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But this is not a story about two best friends who break up because of the vagaries of popularity, and Coleman’s Callie is not a villain who breaks Minnie’s delicate heart.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The vagaries of that schedule will require flexibility and depth and will likely force Dos Santos to rotate players in and out of the lineup.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
My very specific fantasies about the Iran of the future are my way of keeping the political imagination alive and open.—
Arash Azizi,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
-
There is no shortage of opportunities for children, particularly Black and brown ones, to be disabused of their fantasies.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In honor of Valentine’s Day, Stephanie also has a story on the whimsies created by chocolate artist Chris Ford at his West Hollywood pop-up shop.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
In The Girlfriend, the truth is malleable, open to change based on our biases, judgments, whimsies, and desires.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whims.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whims. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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