1
as in comedy
humorous entertainment
an actor whose roles range from slapstick to serious drama
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2
as in hijinks
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
a lowbrow comedy that relies heavily on slapstick for its laughs
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in zany
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of slapstick
George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
Early pantomime theater generally combined two parts: first, a play; and second, a buffoonish slapstick drama featuring four stock characters borrowed from commedia dell’arte: Harlequin; his lady love, Columbine; a grumpy antagonist named Pantaloon; and his assistant, the Clown.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 18 Dec. 2024
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has everything that made the Indiana Jones movies so memorable – whips, slapstick punches and even that cinema stalwart, the Wilhelm scream.
—Ryan Benk, NPR, 15 Dec. 2024
Though none of Sony’s Spider-Man-less Spider-Man movies have been sterling pieces of cinema, the goopy, slapstick romance of the Venom series was a surprise delight.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for slapstick 
Noun
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
Early pantomime theater generally combined two parts: first, a play; and second, a buffoonish slapstick drama featuring four stock characters borrowed from commedia dell’arte: Harlequin; his lady love, Columbine; a grumpy antagonist named Pantaloon; and his assistant, the Clown.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 18 Dec. 2024
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has everything that made the Indiana Jones movies so memorable – whips, slapstick punches and even that cinema stalwart, the Wilhelm scream.
—Ryan Benk, NPR, 15 Dec. 2024
Though none of Sony’s Spider-Man-less Spider-Man movies have been sterling pieces of cinema, the goopy, slapstick romance of the Venom series was a surprise delight.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for slapstick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slapstick
Noun
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Tim Lammers For example, SPE’s summer action comedy smash Bad Boys: Ride or Die opened in theaters on June 7 PVOD and arrived on PVOD about six weeks later, on July 23.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
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The original did air on NBC, which could rebuild a comedy block to try to bring back Must-See TV.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The set-up almost sounds like a zany comedy, but sometimes fact is actually stranger than fiction.—
Scott Phillips,
Forbes,
4 Jan. 2025
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Those kinds of connections are everywhere in this wonderfully zany sport.—
Tyler Kepner,
The Athletic,
24 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Publicize your acknowledgment of wrongdoing in a way that feels authentic to your brand and the scale of the misstep—and, if appropriate, a bit of self-deprecating humor often helps.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
15 Jan. 2025
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Though, some adult viewers claimed the character was too joyful–not to mention the rise of anti-Barney humor at one point.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Redheads often fielded comments related to having a hot temper, being clownish, weirdness, Irishness, not capable of being in the sun, being wild (among women), wimpy (among men), and intellectually superior.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
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As vice-president, Kamala Harris was generally regarded as unimpressive and slightly clownish, with her banal repetitions and too-frequent outbursts of too-exuberant laughter.—
Avi Nelson,
Boston Herald,
30 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Not brilliant or ambitious in its satire, but solid.—
Andy Hoglund,
EW.com,
19 Jan. 2025
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In between his many obligations, Wood Jr. caught up with TIME to discuss his time in the food service industry, the impact of President Trump’s victory on satire, and whether the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was a tougher room than the Apollo Theater.—
Andrew R. Chow,
TIME,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The comedy is very much a love letter to South L.A., offering pointed and amusing commentary on gentrification.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
16 Jan. 2025
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The film centers on Clémence, a quiet yet amusing Parisian, who had a complicated childhood.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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What’s so special about Britain’s patron wanker of bighearted buffoonery?—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
8 Jan. 2025
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Fans are fixated on his greatness juxtaposed against the rest of the Bengals’ buffoonery.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
The Athletic,
3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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All-terrain golf carts are a popular, convenient, and supremely entertaining way to reach even some of the more hidden beaches around the island.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Jan. 2025
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For the man, the house is an expression of love and creativity, while his brother and niece see it more as an entertaining object.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
24 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Slapstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slapstick. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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