1
as in parodies
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
that TV network's reporting is a mere caricature of real journalism
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spoofs
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect
the artist creates caricatures of famous paintings by replacing humans with cats
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3
as in exaggerations
the representation of something in terms that go beyond the facts
the mayor has presented only a caricature of his opponent's views
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in mocks
to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of
caricatured the supervisor's distinctive walk
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of caricatures
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
The same red flannel was often featured in caricatures of Mammy.
—Danielle Amir Jackson, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
The rapport between these two veteran actors turn what could have been seriously dodgy caricatures into a first-rate double act — think Abbott and Costello with sidecurls and silencers.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025
The Sex Lives of College Girls took an honorable stab, but the characters can feel like caricatures.
—Nikki Sternberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2025
In interviews with more than 30 lawmakers, political figures, supporters, friends, and critics, Mamdani emerges as both more interesting and more complicated than the caricatures suggest.
—Mark Chiusano, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
After a couple of insulting caricatures, increasingly bizarre depictions of the Vice President started to spread through the internet, the trend becoming a competition to see who could create the most hideous, weird or original Vance.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
The director was careful to avoid creating caricatures of religious figures.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
The same red flannel was often featured in caricatures of Mammy.
—Danielle Amir Jackson, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
The rapport between these two veteran actors turn what could have been seriously dodgy caricatures into a first-rate double act — think Abbott and Costello with sidecurls and silencers.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025
The Sex Lives of College Girls took an honorable stab, but the characters can feel like caricatures.
—Nikki Sternberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2025
In interviews with more than 30 lawmakers, political figures, supporters, friends, and critics, Mamdani emerges as both more interesting and more complicated than the caricatures suggest.
—Mark Chiusano, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
After a couple of insulting caricatures, increasingly bizarre depictions of the Vice President started to spread through the internet, the trend becoming a competition to see who could create the most hideous, weird or original Vance.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caricatures
Noun
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Last year, in response to some political parodies that used images created by artificial intelligence, including one that pilloried Vice President Kamala Harris, the Legislature passed and Newsom signed two measures to outlaw such tomfoolery.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
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Kaufman and Herz co-founded Troma Entertainment in 1974, which has produced or distributed more than 1,000 low-budget parodies in the past five decades, including the original Toxic Avenger movie in 1984.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Today, Neeson is doing action spoofs (thank God), and even the John Wick series has run its course.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Despite the mess in her apartment, the man, like everyone else in her life, brushes off her fears as the exaggerations of an overactive imagination.—
Marya E. Gates,
IndieWire,
9 Sep. 2025
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In the Coen brothers’ films, wondrous coincidences and absurd exaggerations come off as a comic cosmic order, as a cynical version of metaphysics.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This is why Dijon’s language works best as sound, not narrative—his rangy, raspy voice seethes and triumphs, mocks and threatens; there’s no world in which his polygonal perspective can be discerned from a lyric sheet.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
16 Aug. 2025
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After being told that Dawn is dead, Gaal mocks Demerzel for pretending to grieve, which angers the robot.—
Rafael Motamayor,
Vulture,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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That means having to cut jokes that don't fit his do-no-harm MO.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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His voice is exuberant, especially when cracking jokes.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Metallic gold elements, cotton jacquards and intricate embroideries are central to the romantic theme.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Aug. 2025
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DePaulo, who is based in New York, is known for his sculptural bridal and eveningwear designs featuring intricate embroideries and beading.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In the second episode, which premiered on August 6, Cartman imitates Kirk with a podcast and debates college students.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
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Sometimes art imitates life by skipping a generation.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Niedenthal’s photo of a cinema playing ‘Apocalypse Now’ while the apocalypse is happening on the streets, the carp in the bathtub, the girl who wants to watch cartoons in the morning but [political leader] General Jaruzelski is on TV.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
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This author has previously reported on whether Disney’s Marvel movies, Lucasfilm productions and live action remakes of its classic cartoons were over or under budget.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Caricatures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caricatures. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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