as in notion
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whim
Young says if federal employees can be removed based on political whim, the American people will suffer.
—
Andrea Hsu, NPR, 23 June 2025
That’s because the new variant is also part of the brand’s Tailor Made program, which is its bespoke program for clients to make cars—with the help of designers—that adhere to the customer’s every whim.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 16 June 2025
Analysts who follow Walgreens see the move to private ownership as another plus because the company and a stock price attached to public ownership will no longer be subject to the whims of Wall Street.
—Bruce Japsen, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
This arguably demonstrates why the central bank is federally mandated to be independent, so that a major lever of the economy can be used for the long-term benefit of businesses and consumers as opposed to the whims of the Oval Office.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for whim
Andrea Hsu, NPR, 23 June 2025
That’s because the new variant is also part of the brand’s Tailor Made program, which is its bespoke program for clients to make cars—with the help of designers—that adhere to the customer’s every whim.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 16 June 2025
Analysts who follow Walgreens see the move to private ownership as another plus because the company and a stock price attached to public ownership will no longer be subject to the whims of Wall Street.
—Bruce Japsen, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
This arguably demonstrates why the central bank is federally mandated to be independent, so that a major lever of the economy can be used for the long-term benefit of businesses and consumers as opposed to the whims of the Oval Office.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for whim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whim
Noun
-
That latter idea flows from a notion that if rescissions are proposed late in the fiscal year and Congress does not have the full 45-day period to act on any such proposals, the funds expire and become unavailable for obligation.—
Doug Criscitello,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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But the fundamental notion to be grasped is one of purpose.—
John Updike,
New Yorker,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
The caprice of the wind was the only reason there was evidence to recover in the first place.—
Henry Leutwyler Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Quinton Kamara,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
-
Trump ran as a populist, but his actions in office have built a new élite shaped by his personal preference and caprice.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Wang — who was born in Shanghai and grew up in the small town of Northfield, Minn., before moving on to college at New York University — is still humbled by the thought of how many people auditioned for the role.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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To no surprise, viewers swarmed the TikTok video's comment section with their thoughts.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
15 July 2025
Noun
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Vape shops have spread across the American retail landscape with a bizarre swiftness, seemingly unbeholden to the same vagaries of inflation, customer demand, and local real estate that bind every other kind of storefront small business in the country.—
Amanda Mull,
The Atlantic,
22 June 2023
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Third, repeaters should prove capable of swapping this data between nodes in a network in a predictable way and not one too subject to the vagaries of chance.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
13 June 2023
Noun
-
This cosmic climate blurs the boundaries between fantasy and reality, offering you the opportunity to overcome challenges or doubts that have held you back in the past.—
Danijela Pilic,
Glamour,
10 July 2025
-
Competing authors are trapped in their respective science fiction/fantasy stories and need help getting each other out.—
WIRED,
Wired News,
10 July 2025
Noun
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The whole process, Mill argued, would move voting away from a referendum on a community’s values and toward an act of whimsy, like browsing from an array of calico clothes.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
23 June 2025
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Its mismatched shades and staggered pendant height bring a subtle whimsy overhead that lend the fixture its statement-making quality.—
Maria Conti,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
This deep $700 discount will easily cover the cost of a monitor and even some peripherals like a headset and mouse—whatever tickles your fancy.—
Jade Chung-Lee,
PC Magazine,
24 June 2025
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So while so much is the same in fashion, there’s always a little something new to catch Jacob’s fancy.—
James Manso,
Footwear News,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whim. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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