as in insanity
lack of good sense or judgment
what zaniness possessed you to take a mental health day when you knew that the head honcho would be visiting?
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Recent Examples of zaniness
Adding to the mind-blowing zaniness of the piece?
—
Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 12 June 2026
As was the case in the first season as well, the finale escalates to a place of thrilling zaniness, with a little less ultimate emotional gravitas this time around.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
But the draft traditionally ratchets up quarterback zaniness.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Some critics found the zaniness of Bale’s ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’ number (an homage to Mel Brooks comedy Young Frankenstein) hysterically brilliant, while others didn’t get the joke.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2026
Plenty of moments on The Fall-Off remind of the hunger of his early mixtapes, the purposeful thrills of his 2010s hits, or even the misguided zaniness of KOD, though none materialize in meaningful doses.
—Benny Sun, Pitchfork, 10 Feb. 2026
The frothy zaniness was, of course, one of Barry’s Hollywood calling cards, but there always were serious themes submerged underneath.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The ensemble comedy garnered critical praise for its steady stream of zaniness and quickly gained a reputation for deftly skewering suburban life while still maintaining a general sweetness of tone.
—Will Harris, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
Animated by an irreverent zaniness, Egger’s poetry fuses elements drawn from contemporary idiom and from lyric tradition to render a surreal world that interrogates existential questions about desire and grief.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 12 June 2026
As was the case in the first season as well, the finale escalates to a place of thrilling zaniness, with a little less ultimate emotional gravitas this time around.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
But the draft traditionally ratchets up quarterback zaniness.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Some critics found the zaniness of Bale’s ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’ number (an homage to Mel Brooks comedy Young Frankenstein) hysterically brilliant, while others didn’t get the joke.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2026
Plenty of moments on The Fall-Off remind of the hunger of his early mixtapes, the purposeful thrills of his 2010s hits, or even the misguided zaniness of KOD, though none materialize in meaningful doses.
—Benny Sun, Pitchfork, 10 Feb. 2026
The frothy zaniness was, of course, one of Barry’s Hollywood calling cards, but there always were serious themes submerged underneath.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The ensemble comedy garnered critical praise for its steady stream of zaniness and quickly gained a reputation for deftly skewering suburban life while still maintaining a general sweetness of tone.
—Will Harris, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
Animated by an irreverent zaniness, Egger’s poetry fuses elements drawn from contemporary idiom and from lyric tradition to render a surreal world that interrogates existential questions about desire and grief.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zaniness
Noun
-
However, what seemed like the perfect life was really a complex house of cards built on lies and insanity.—
David Hookstead OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
-
Support ballot measures or candidates (not named Steyer) focused on reforming the state’s zoning and regulatory insanity.—
Michelle Cottle,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Driven by revenge and madness, Sweeney Todd slices necks he is meant to just shave.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2026
-
Horkheimer and Adorno had concluded that advanced capitalism, far from being a technocratic monolith, had an inherent tendency toward chaos and madness.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
There's a certain simplicity to it.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Rather than convert a traditional motor yacht to electric propulsion, the team developed a unique catamaran centered on efficiency, autonomy, and simplicity.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
After Monday’s ruling, social media lit up with criticism for Sorsby regaining eligibility minus the first two games of the 2026 season, while others pointed out the seeming absurdity.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
9 June 2026
-
There was an absurdity to it all that took the edge off the menace.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, the Spurs had to rush off the court to avoid getting caught up in all the craziness.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
This would have been ’95 and all the craziness around samples was happening.—
Lily Moayeri,
SPIN,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
And with those road destinations, there’s plenty of room for late-season winter weather wackiness.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
13 May 2026
-
These flashes of melancholy or yearning give the record complexity and depth, as well as stopping it from devolving into wackiness.—
Alastair Shuttleworth,
Pitchfork,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zaniness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zaniness. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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