craze 1 of 2

craze

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verb

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

Examples of craze in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
For decades, scientists have debated whether the lithia-water craze had any truth to it—if low doses of lithium might benefit a larger population than people with mental-health conditions, maybe even everyone. Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024 The conga dance craze that would soon sweep the U.S. had arrived. Raj Tawney, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Sep. 2024
Verb
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 Anderson is one of a select few managers from whom La Russa learned, although that was supplemented by his interest in statistics well before the sabermetrics craze. Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, 29 Oct. 2020 See all Example Sentences for craze 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'craze.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near craze

Cite this Entry

“Craze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/craze. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

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