clowning 1 of 2

noun

Definition of clowningnext
as in joking
wildly playful or mischievous behavior our coworker's clowning was distracting, but fun to watch

Synonyms & Similar Words

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clowning

2 of 2

verb

present participle of clown
1
as in miming

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in cutting up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clowning
  1. buffoonery
  2. imitating
  3. clownery
  4. tomfoolery
  5. horseplay
  6. slapstick
Noun
  • What’s so special about Britain’s patron wanker of bighearted buffoonery?
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Fans are fixated on his greatness juxtaposed against the rest of the Bengals’ buffoonery.
    The Athletic NFL Staff, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
Definition of buffoonery
Verb
  • The dog's posture in the viral clip is unsurprising because research has shown that canines are capable of imitating human actions.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
  • Art is imitating life for Jennifer Lopez.
    Jen Juneau, People.com, 2 Jan. 2025
Definition of imitating
Noun
  • Tirhakah Love is a senior writer at New York Magazine and the host of the new evening newsletter Dinner Party, a daily email that touches on all things entertainment — that means film, television, music, tech, and gaming — plus politics and corporate clownery.
    Vulture, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2022
  • The Winx Club live action is a big clownery!
    Olivia Truffaut-Wong, refinery29.com, 25 Jan. 2021
Definition of clownery
Noun
  • If humans can use emotional tomfoolery to prevail over AI, there is a certain kind of endearing fulfillment in doing so.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Aside from those two couple moments, Turner's post also included plenty of tomfoolery with friends and documented some of her travels — from skiing in January to an October trip to an ancient temple in Egypt.
    Julia Moore, People.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Definition of tomfoolery
Noun
  • On my gondola, however, horseplay is not only encouraged, it is required.
    Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 24 Sep. 2024
  • Prosecutors allege Alec Baldwin engaged in ‘horseplay’ and acted recklessly on ‘Rust’ set.
    Colleen Shalby, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2024
Definition of horseplay
Noun
  • In each episode, Shaun tries to liven up mundane farm life with low-stakes schemes that eventually spiral into farcical, slapstick situations.
    Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 3 Jan. 2025
  • Summer this year mixed slapstick ultra-violence with kid-friendly fare, with another massively successful July release in Despicable Me 4 also targeted to younger audiences.
    George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
Definition of slapstick
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near clowning

clownery

clowning

clowning (around)

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“Clowning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clowning. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

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