1
as in lunatics
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
only a fool would attempt to climb that mountain unprepared
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clowns
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
3
as in suckers
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something
I'm a fool for ice cream
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in maniacs
a person having or showing a severely disordered or abnormal state of mind
he got out of serving in the army by successfully pretending to be a fool
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in tricks
to cause to believe what is untrue
I fooled him into thinking that we were driving to the store, not to his surprise birthday party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in jokes
to make jokes
an edgy comedian fooling with an appreciative college audience
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fools
Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Sabonis and Zach LaVine are fringe All-Stars most seasons, Keegan Murray is a solid wing starter who shoots and defends, DeRozan can still get midrange buckets and shot-fake fools into heaps of fouls, and Malik Monk is electric in a sixth-man role.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
The result is just old-fashioned cinematic fools’ gold, in which sensationalistic blather poses as social commentary.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent years have seen thousands of Palestinian properties illegally seized, but the Khalidis would not be taken for fools.
—Ryan Byrnes, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Welcome back, friends and fools, to year FIVE of the Vulture Movies Fantasy League.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2025
The men largely act like fools in Splitsville.
—Nigel Smith, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Witty, observant, and unwilling to suffer fools, Elizabeth Bennet is the original challenger brand.
—Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Now Swiftian color theory is a game for fools and mad men, but just keep that in mind.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
None of this is meant to suggest that a trade is imminent, but if offered the chance to trade these three players for Peralta, the Yankees would be fools not to take it.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Sabonis and Zach LaVine are fringe All-Stars most seasons, Keegan Murray is a solid wing starter who shoots and defends, DeRozan can still get midrange buckets and shot-fake fools into heaps of fouls, and Malik Monk is electric in a sixth-man role.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
The result is just old-fashioned cinematic fools’ gold, in which sensationalistic blather poses as social commentary.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent years have seen thousands of Palestinian properties illegally seized, but the Khalidis would not be taken for fools.
—Ryan Byrnes, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Welcome back, friends and fools, to year FIVE of the Vulture Movies Fantasy League.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2025
The men largely act like fools in Splitsville.
—Nigel Smith, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Witty, observant, and unwilling to suffer fools, Elizabeth Bennet is the original challenger brand.
—Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Now Swiftian color theory is a game for fools and mad men, but just keep that in mind.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fools
Noun
-
There were these lunatics in the car.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
-
So that episode will make fun [of] billionaire life-extension body-hacking lunatics.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The clowns come at you quickly at Fast Splash Car Wash in Detroit, Mich.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
27 Oct. 2025
-
This guy might be single-handedly responsible for generations of people having an irrational fear of clowns.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The body of each tentacle is crafted out of resin, and the individual suckers are then painted and polished before being applied by hand.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Remove any shoots and suckers that appear on the trunk or near the roots, and get rid of crossing or dead branches.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Haunted Trail takes visitors outdoors through a path with dense fog and several haunting installations with zombies, a ghoul bus, a graveyard filled with ghosts, chainsaw maniacs and more.—
Ut Community Press,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Adding mulch too early when temperatures are still warm traps heat and tricks plant roots to remain active and produce new growth that can be damaged by cold temperatures.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
14 Oct. 2025
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Seeing empty floor tricks the brain into thinking there is more space than there is.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Continue reading … 'DISGUSTING' – Jen Psaki jokes Usha Vance scared of her husband, ripped for 'disgusting' comments.—
,
FOXNews.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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The group of veterans in the back often jokes about fantasy football and other sports.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Don’t use mulch made from black walnut wood, leaves, or nuts near your orchard.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Oct. 2025
-
So in 2017, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases formally recommended parents introduce children under the age of 3 to allergens like nuts.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The pride of Odysseus, the passion of Shakespeare’s lovers, and the dread facing Ivan Ilyich on his deathbed remain inextinguishable qualities of our inner lives.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
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For dog lovers, USA TODAY Pets is your ultimate resource — from training tips to health hacks and fun stories.—
Allison Moses,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fools.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fools. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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