play the clown

idiom

: to try to make people laugh
He was always playing the clown.

Examples of play the clown in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Henderson could play the clown, but was not a screwball. Bill Swank, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2023

Dictionary Entries Near play the clown

Cite this Entry

“Play the clown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20the%20clown. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!