as in killjoy
a person who spoils the pleasure of others
if you don't want to play, at least don't be a spoilsport
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of spoilsport
Sorry for being a spoilsport.
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John F. Wasik, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2021
Who knows whether another variant will turn spoilsport next year.
—Rajrishi Singhal, Quartz, 10 Feb. 2022
Does wanting to moderate the telling of jokes about AI sentience become a grinch-like spoilsport?
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 26 Aug. 2022
While demand is ballooning, high taxes—3% each market fee and rural development fund, 2.5% commission to agents and 1% service charges—could play spoilsport.
—Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2022
See all Example Sentences for spoilsport 
John F. Wasik, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2021
Who knows whether another variant will turn spoilsport next year.
—Rajrishi Singhal, Quartz, 10 Feb. 2022
Does wanting to moderate the telling of jokes about AI sentience become a grinch-like spoilsport?
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 26 Aug. 2022
While demand is ballooning, high taxes—3% each market fee and rural development fund, 2.5% commission to agents and 1% service charges—could play spoilsport.
—Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2022
See all Example Sentences for spoilsport
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoilsport
Noun
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Likewise, today’s AI killjoys are clinging desperately to the bygone past, to the days when telephones had round dials and thick curly cords and were just for talking (gag!), and when students wrote essays in longhand, in ink, on sheets of paper.Douglas Hofstadter, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2024
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While the lawyers play killjoys, work is continuing on the project for now, including on the party car.Chris Morris, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2024
Noun
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Our study puts a price tag on these costs and reminds policymakers that political infighting is a drag on the economy.Charles Sims / The Conversation, Quartz, 4 Nov. 2024
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Bloomberg The expense report process is a drag for employees but there are a few startups trying to change that.Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Studies suggest cynics are often more depressed, heavier drinkers and lower earners than noncynics.Alyssa Bereznak, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2024
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The research showed that 70% believed cynics would outperform non-cynics on cognitive tasks.Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Since 2016, officials studied and selected single bore, receiving federal environmental clearance.Dan Phan, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
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The chief thought about what responsibility Washington bore for what was happening in Whitewater; after all, the federal government operated the nation’s immigration system.Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 24 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Unless there is a shark approaching you, in which case scurry sideways like a crab.Viktoria Shulevich, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
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That plan aged like Maryland crab left out in the sun.Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 3 Nov. 2024
Noun
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But seriously, the Freedom Caucus and anti-establishment wing that ousted McCarthy over cutting that initial spending deal stands ready to be the grinch in this scenario.Leah Askarinam, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2023
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Which brings us to this Christmas and a pernicious grinch named COVID who has teamed up with the Grim Reaper to batter us with waves of record-setting deaths, a resurgence of jobless claims and another lockdown here and in much of California.San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Dec. 2020
Noun
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Stiller’s Roy, the leader of the titular supergroup, is rarely more than a wet blanket, literally powerless and mopey right until the climactic battle.Sean Malin, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024
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There is clearly some strife between Ben and Louise, unresolved tension that is often exacerbated by Ben’s unemployment, along with his tendency to be a formless wet blanket.Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 10 Sep. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Spoilsport.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoilsport. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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