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
The first pitch of a game wouldn’t fall in that category, but Suzuki deferred to his hitter’s whims.
—
Zack Meisel, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Now is the time for Colorado leaders to push back on this bad decision and fight for a future where disaster declarations are considered on their merits and qualifications, not on the angry whims of one man.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
With input from food historian Pushpesh Pant, chef Vijay Sahi has designed three tasting menus that reimagine the culinary whims of the erstwhile royals from across India.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
But this exercise of state power depends on the whims of a single man.
—Ben Tarnoff, Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026
To help cater to its future owners’ whims, the 213-footer is designed with a removable modular system, which means the superyacht can be tailored to the adventure at hand.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 21 Apr. 2026
Multicoin, especially, has been at the whims of crypto’s booms and busts.
—Ben Weiss, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
But some classics have been with us all along, their popularity ebbing and flowing with the whims of restaurant culture.
—Jerry & Krista Slater, AJC.com, 12 Apr. 2026
The online community of people who do this kind of analysis are used to their information environment constantly shifting according to the whims of companies and algorithms, Godin said.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 10 Apr. 2026
Zack Meisel, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Now is the time for Colorado leaders to push back on this bad decision and fight for a future where disaster declarations are considered on their merits and qualifications, not on the angry whims of one man.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
With input from food historian Pushpesh Pant, chef Vijay Sahi has designed three tasting menus that reimagine the culinary whims of the erstwhile royals from across India.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
But this exercise of state power depends on the whims of a single man.
—Ben Tarnoff, Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026
To help cater to its future owners’ whims, the 213-footer is designed with a removable modular system, which means the superyacht can be tailored to the adventure at hand.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 21 Apr. 2026
Multicoin, especially, has been at the whims of crypto’s booms and busts.
—Ben Weiss, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
But some classics have been with us all along, their popularity ebbing and flowing with the whims of restaurant culture.
—Jerry & Krista Slater, AJC.com, 12 Apr. 2026
The online community of people who do this kind of analysis are used to their information environment constantly shifting according to the whims of companies and algorithms, Godin said.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whims
Noun
-
Additionally, curiosity prompts individuals to question assumptions and challenge preconceived notions, thereby reducing the influence of bias in decision-making processes.—
Rebecca Ahmed,
Big Think,
22 Apr. 2026
-
As the Paramount upfront meetings commence, the company appears poised to keep them and is not at present entertaining any notions of returning to the days when CBS held court in front of advertisers at Carnegie Hall.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One needed Mother Nature to bestow upon brewers the right temperatures for making beer, and in the days before refrigeration and even thermometers, that meant that brewing was largely dictated by the caprices of the seasons.—
Jay R. Brooks,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
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
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There were plenty of ordinary and dismissive explanations for what had happened, all related to the vagaries of the brain.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
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As a result, those close to him have felt that there have been some vagaries around his role within the team since his arrival.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But what Danielson says was intended as a symbolic protest escalated dramatically amid paranoid fantasies, prosaic miscommunications, and the false report of a gun.—
Tessa Stuart,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
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Inspired in part by Gillian Anderson’s compendium of women’s erotic fantasies, Want, as well as Nancy Friday’s My Secret Garden, Superbloom is, in theory, a manifestation of Ware’s deepest desires.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
20 Apr. 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 2 May. 2026.
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