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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Example Sentences
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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
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 May 2024
Her character, Corrine, is bold and sparkly, the kind of showboat who leaps atop a bar to belt Wham!
—Amy Nicholson, Variety, 7 Sep. 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
Keoghan’s performance is a bit of a showboat stunt (he’s supposed to be a terrible father but doesn’t seem like a father at all).
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 May 2024
Her character, Corrine, is bold and sparkly, the kind of showboat who leaps atop a bar to belt Wham!
—Amy Nicholson, Variety, 7 Sep. 2023
See all Example Sentences for showboat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for showboat
Verb
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The Rays’ temporary home (Steinbrenner Field) is ready to show off.—
Ken Rosenthal,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
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Along with an eye-catching diamond necklace and stud earrings by Tiffany & Co., Gomez also took the opportunity to show off her dazzling marquise engagement ring from Benny Blanco.—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
16 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Its 45 larger-than-life figures—cowboys on horseback, women riding sidesaddle, and lots of covered wagons— make up one of the world’s largest bronze sculpture installations.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
7 Feb. 2025
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That was my experience at Rebuilding, in which Josh O’Connor plays a cowboy who’s just lost the family farm in a massive wildfire, and who’s struggling to put his life back together.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
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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
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In the frying process, those odd crumbles can be cut up in a casual manner with a spatula.—
Cathy Thomas,
Orange County Register,
10 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This annual meteor shower tends to go berserk every 33 years, but sadly, the next bonanza isn't due until 2032-33, according to Sky At Night.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
29 Dec. 2024
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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
Verb
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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
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The unidentified pre-teen was horsing around and throwing snowballs in Connecticut’s capital city with an 11-year-old friend, local ABC affiliate WTNH reported.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Another interesting finding from the clinical trial that was more recently reveled is the reduction of visceral fat.—
Yola Robert,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
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Host Nikki Glaser, fresh from her successful emceeing duties, was seen reveling with fellow comedian Nate Bargatze, both basking in the evening’s triumphs.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Players were in a dorm room fooling around with a gun.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Nov. 2024
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Oklahoma fooled around with Houston long enough to escape with a narrow 16-12 win.—
Chase Goodbread,
The Tennessean,
18 Sep. 2024
Verb
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Together, Toothless and Hiccup soar through the sky, barreling past rocky cliffs and roaring oceans and flying far above fierce battles as the music swells.—
Matt Minton,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2025
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Suddenly, as if some omniscient observer had pressed play, the scene roared to life.—
Brendan Marks,
The Athletic,
9 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near showboat
Cite this Entry
“Showboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/showboat. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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