1
as in harlequin
a comically dressed performer (as at a circus) who entertains with playful tricks and ridiculous behavior
a clown wearing big floppy shoes and a red wig
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2
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
you should stay away from that clown
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in to cut up
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clown
Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Feb. 2025
The rising pop star danced amid a bevy of rodeo clowns clad in denim, and sang atop a giant pink pony.
—Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 3 Feb. 2025
Jen Chaney, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
It's taken my focus away as well, so maybe a little less clowning and more focus on the actual victory.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for clown
Noun
There was a good joke buried in that conceit: maybe only clowns spend as much time in the makeup chair as the drag artists that have provided Roan the inspiration for her primary look.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Feb. 2025
The rising pop star danced amid a bevy of rodeo clowns clad in denim, and sang atop a giant pink pony.
—Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 3 Feb. 2025
Verb
Even the stuff that doesn’t involve actual performances — like video of Charles Barkley and the members of Nirvana clowning around while shooting a promo — has the feel of a precious artifact that’s finally been unearthed.
3.
—Jen Chaney, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
It's taken my focus away as well, so maybe a little less clowning and more focus on the actual victory.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for clown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clown
Noun
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But this harlequin moll can’t match Joker’s lunacy as either lawbreaker or musician.—
Armond White,
National Review,
29 Nov. 2024
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The doll, which is called the Witch Weaver, wears flared bell-bottoms, a gossamer harlequin blouse, gold waistcoat and crystal headpiece — taking inspiration from Reed’s signature design codes, personal style and even Lady Gaga.—
Violet Goldstone,
WWD,
21 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Psychological harassment masquerading as public works.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
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The Little Maria controversy did no favors for human-rights activists, either, whom the government liked to paint as feckless—or even as smugglers masquerading as do-gooders.—
Lauren Markham,
Harper's Magazine,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Popular freezer hacks include saving Parmesan rinds to deepen the flavor of soups, cutting up loaves of bread for toast, and even storing homemade jam without all the mess of canning.—
Meghan McCarron,
The Atlantic,
18 Feb. 2025
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By sector, technology suffered the worst, with job cuts up 128 percent on-month to 7,488, followed by automotive (123 percent), services (106 percent), retail (96 percent), and media and news (27 percent).—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Of course, Veep’s sycophants, buffoons, and backstabbers bear little resemblance to the vanguard of our latest regime.—
Judy Berman,
TIME,
20 Feb. 2025
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Hudson’s bandmates—the guitarist Robbie Robertson, the drummer Levon Helm, the bassist Rick Danko, and the pianist and multi-instrumentalist Richard Manuel—often described him as scholarly, nimble, and discerning, a professor type at loose in a scene dominated by beautiful buffoons.—
Amanda Petrusich,
The New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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With that put to bed, our attention turns back to the husbands, and all the new rumors from this season, like Lisa bringing up Shawn’s name in regards to circle jerks.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
29 Jan. 2025
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Diagnosed first with Jeavons syndrome in 2018/19—a rare form of epilepsy characterized by absence seizures and eyelid jerks—a 1,000-gene epilepsy panel in 2020 revealed further health problems.—
George Monastiriakos,
Newsweek,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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But with no sound to accompany the video, the pair is forced to comically mime their way through their first conversation, in TVLine’s exclusive sneak peek.—
Vlada Gelman,
TVLine,
11 Feb. 2025
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In the clip, Sunday Rose mimed playing the flute as the sounds of woodwinds accompanied the video.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
30 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Elsewhere, two boys, Frank and Alain, get up to assorted mischief, sneaking onto a baseball diamond at night or horsing around on railroad tracks, although there are hints that Frank’s family may leave Cuba soon.—
Ben Kenigsberg,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2025
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In the video, Payne is shown horsing around with a large outdoor crowd and his bandmates, encouraging the fans to quiet their screaming and then raise the volume all the way back up.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA TODAY,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Toward the end of his monologue, the comedian began talking about his love for historical documentaries, specifically Ken Burns’ Civil War special.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
2 Mar. 2025
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In February, it was reported that the former comedian had shut down his addiction and mental health charity in the UK.—
Caroline Frost,
Deadline,
2 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to clown
Cite this Entry
“Clown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clown. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
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