as in to show off
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
the gymnast was showboating for the cameras when she lost her balance and fell
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Recent Examples of showboat
Justin Chang, chicagotribune.com, 12 Sep. 2019
Three quarters of sleepwalking, showboating and unwatchable basketball, followed by one quarter of the most intense and least-artistic basketball of the season.
—Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, 16 Feb. 2020
Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Aug. 2023
Back then, skeptics tried to describe him in ways that limited his accomplishments — dismissing him as selfish or a showboat.
—Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for showboat 
Verb
There are no showboating gestures here, only a bone-deep commitment to showing us the lives of individuals often relegated to the cinematic sidelines, to the extent that the movies even notice them all.
—Justin Chang, chicagotribune.com, 12 Sep. 2019
Three quarters of sleepwalking, showboating and unwatchable basketball, followed by one quarter of the most intense and least-artistic basketball of the season.
—Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, 16 Feb. 2020
Noun
But for all his talent and confidence as a performer, composer and bandleader, Shorter was frequently overshadowed by showboats, not least his Weather Report bandmate Jaco Pastorius.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Aug. 2023
Back then, skeptics tried to describe him in ways that limited his accomplishments — dismissing him as selfish or a showboat.
—Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for showboat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for showboat
Verb
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Jennifer Lawrence shows off her baby bump in a Bottega Veneta gown at the Governors Awards on Nov. 17 in Los Angeles. 89 of 120 Fore!Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
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The comedian also showed off his black eye under his eye patch.Lauryn Overhultz, Fox News, 19 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Dillahunt will play modern cowboy William Macon, a self-righteous, conspiracy-minded man who masks his ruthless ambition behind a charming and calculated facade.Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024
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Kate’s emerging cowboy tendencies, Trowbridge’s ruthlessness and immaturity, Eidra’s laser focus on intelligence gathering and analysis, Dennison’s rectitude, Roylin’s geopolitics-whisperer shtick — all are heightened and more immediately consequential than before.Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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And past paintings, too, could be recycled, cut up and then reenlisted for new images.Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2024
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Each morning at 3 AM Lopez is at the Fulton Fish Market and all his orders are at the restaurant kitchen by 7 AM to be weighed and cut up, scaled and filleted.John Mariani, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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There’s no evidence to suggest that the bear went berserk after overdosing, as the trailer, which went viral in December, shows.Michael O'Sullivan, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Feb. 2023
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The word berserk exists in our dictionaries thanks to the Norse tales of these superhuman warriors.Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2022
Verb
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After five teenage boys are shown horsing around on a Malibu beach for a few seconds, the shot dissolves into Liam’s perfect coif, his unbuttoned shirt, his disarming smile.Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
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The Game of Thrones alum, 28, was seen horsing around with the British aristocrat at a polo match at his family's estate in West Sussex, England on Saturday, June 29.Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 3 July 2024
Verb
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Cramer noted that Price appeared to revel after Ford had his fingerprints and picture taken during the county’s standard booking process.East Bay Times editorial, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024
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The org reveled winners for its North America, Global, Latin America and Local competitions on Thursday night at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.Michael Schneider, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Why fool around with a convention that everyone understood and practiced?Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 7 Oct. 2024
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Flashbacks peppered throughout the first several episodes reveal that Yasmin caught her father fooling around with a pregnant woman on the boat.Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 16 Sep. 2024
Verb
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In the middle of the night, a fire on a playground on Cincinnati's riverfront grew into a roaring fireball that caused significant damage to the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, a major artery connecting the city to Northern Kentucky.Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 5 Nov. 2024
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As floodwaters roared through remote mountain communities of Western North Carolina, locals raced against time to save each other.John Riley, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near showboat
Cite this Entry
“Showboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/showboat. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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