craze 1 of 2

noun

Definition of crazenext
as in trend
a practice or interest that is very popular for a short time if history is any guide, this latest diet for losing weight is just another craze

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

craze

2 of 2

verb

ˈkrāz How to pronounce craze (audio)
as in to frenzy
to cause to go insane or as if insane horses crazed by the barn fire kicked out their stall doors as they tried to escape

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word craze distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of craze are fad, fashion, mode, rage, style, and vogue. While all these words mean "the usage accepted by those who want to be up-to-date," rage and craze stress intense enthusiasm in adopting a fad.

Cajun food was the rage nearly everywhere for a time
crossword puzzles once seemed just a passing craze but have lasted

When is fad a more appropriate choice than craze?

The meanings of fad and craze largely overlap; however, fad suggests caprice in taking up or in dropping a fashion.

last year's fad is over

When is it sensible to use fashion instead of craze?

Although the words fashion and craze have much in common, fashion is the most general term and applies to any way of dressing, behaving, writing, or performing that is favored at any one time or place.

the current fashion

In what contexts can mode take the place of craze?

In some situations, the words mode and craze are roughly equivalent. However, mode suggests the fashion of the moment among those anxious to appear elegant and sophisticated.

slim bodies are the mode at this resort

When can style be used instead of craze?

The words style and craze are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, style often implies a distinctive fashion adopted by people of taste.

a media baron used to traveling in style

Where would vogue be a reasonable alternative to craze?

While in some cases nearly identical to craze, vogue stresses the wide acceptance of a fashion.

short skirts are back in vogue

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 craze
Noun
Olivia Atwood, Simone Biles, and others have all joined in on the Labubu craze. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025 How to watch the Love Island reunion Want to see what all the Love Island craze was about? —Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
Ford, which started the high-performance truck craze a decade ago with the F-150 Raptor, confirmed that a Raptor R version with even more power and torque will soon go into production. —Bymorgan Korn, ABC News, 11 June 2022 The exclamatory marketing epitomizes the desire of folks to post filtered photos of themselves on social media, connecting with millions who craze this basic connection to some semblance of the art world. —Natasha Gural, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2021 See All Example Sentences for craze
Recent Examples of Synonyms for craze
  1. trend
  2. frenzy
  3. latest
  4. bother
  5. vogue
  6. rage
  7. enthusiasm
  8. style
Noun
  • The Price Tracker also sheds light on national trends.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Believe in your authentic value, in your own development—don't let trends unsettle you.
    — Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
Definition of trend
Verb
  • The media frenzy about GLP-1 agonists hadn't yet started.
    — Mara Gordon, NPR, 24 Apr. 2025
  • During the media frenzy the then-21-year-old held a press conference, delivering a heartfelt resignation speech.
    — Janine Rubenstein, Peoplemag, 27 July 2024
Definition of frenzy
Noun
  • These latests features are designed for enterprises who want to integrate their AI technology with either existing Salesforce data or even their own data.
    — Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The latests deaths included three residents of long-term care facilities in Dallas, as well as a Balch Springs man in his 20s and a Dallas man in his 60s.
    — Dana Branham, Dallas News, 30 Apr. 2020
Definition of latest
Verb
  • The women were too busy cooking, crafting, and caring for the family to bother with the stone tools used by men in hunting and building.
    — Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Why ban books, Postman asked, if no one bothers to read them?
    — Time, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of bother
Noun
  • Long throws are in vogue again, so too is the big No 9.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Like clothing, body styles go in and out of vogue.
    — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2025
Definition of vogue
Noun
  • At least 19 people died in protests in Nepal’s capital and other cities, after rage over a social-media shutdown and corruption led to violent clashes between the police and young demonstrators.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Genius dazzles down the ages, but so do fits of rage.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Definition of rage
Noun
  • But those with long memories are tempering enthusiasm with prudence, remembering how the dot-com bubble led to unsustainable valuations and a painful crash.
    — Tiz Gambacorta, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • This reveals how enthusiasm without integration discipline wastes time and capital.
    — Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Definition of enthusiasm
Noun
  • Housed in a historic Germantown residence, the restaurant serves its brunch family-style, with strangers seated together at communal tables.
    — Rai Mincey, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Tate McRae hit the red carpet in a custom sheer Grecian-style white gown by Ludovic de Saint Sernin.
    — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Definition of style

Browse Nearby Words

crayons
craze
crazed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Craze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/craze. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on craze

Nglish: Translation of craze for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about craze

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

A Guide to Using Semicolons

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 3

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Birds Say the Darndest Things

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'
See More

Popular

See More

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 3

Our Best Historical Slang Terms
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
high school student holding a pencil leaning over a sat test
Challenging Standardized Test Words 20 questions to help you score 1600
See All