1
as in sketch
a picture using lines to represent the chief features of an object or scene
a political cartoon mocking the state legislature
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in strip
a series of drawings that tell a story or part of a story
reading the cartoons in the Sunday newspaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in parody
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
in this biopic the life of a complex man is reduced to a cartoon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cartoon
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
Underneath their colorful cartoon animal exteriors, the animatronics are a skeleton of metal and pneumatic tubes.
—Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
That is one of my favorite cartoons, along with SpongeBob, Jimmy Neutron and Scooby-Doo.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 12 June 2026
Whereas that game is meant to disorient you, Rhythm Heaven Groove's bold and memorable cartoon scenes enhance the game's Simon Says-like call-and-response quality.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for cartoon
Noun
In anticipation of supersonic flight, the 747 was designed to shift into cargo duty sometime by the end of the ’70s; its cygnine hump allowed containers to be loaded through its nose, which opens like the mouth of a cartoon shark.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
Underneath their colorful cartoon animal exteriors, the animatronics are a skeleton of metal and pneumatic tubes.
—Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
That is one of my favorite cartoons, along with SpongeBob, Jimmy Neutron and Scooby-Doo.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 12 June 2026
Whereas that game is meant to disorient you, Rhythm Heaven Groove's bold and memorable cartoon scenes enhance the game's Simon Says-like call-and-response quality.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for cartoon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cartoon
Noun
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That meant weaving in comedy sketches, musical performances and choreography as well as clips that audiences had never seen before.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
15 June 2026
-
Open a talk with someone important by showing a rough sketch that makes the idea easy to enjoy and invite input.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
15 June 2026
Noun
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The county has expanded the number of monthly buprenorphine injections and daily Suboxone strips dispensed to patients in custody in recent years, but routine budget restrictions continue to precipitate delays in treatment, according to Correctional Health Services.—
Gavin J. Quinton,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Officers attempted to use spike strips to end the pursuit before asking for permission to use a PIT maneuver.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Noun
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Ru’s previous movies, like her blaxploitation parody series Starrbooty, are entertainingly low-budget ridiculousness but not worth paying to see on the big screen.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
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For Entertainment Weekly's Scary Movie cover story, the returning protagonist of the first four entries in the horror parody franchise broke down all the films that co-creators and co-writers Shawn and Marlon Wayans set Faris up to knock down in the latest.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 June 2026
Verb
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In an accompanying cartoon, Spark is caricatured as a sulking giant, tottering above the Tuscan countryside in a pair of high heels.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
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But as written by Mark Rosenblatt and directed by Nicholas Hytner, Giant doesn’t caricature its subject.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Rodriguez has been developing the concept for more than a decade, based on drawings and stories created with and for his children.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
18 June 2026
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Making Art Creative activities like painting or drawing activate multiple regions of the brain.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
17 June 2026
Noun
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In a trailer released by the streamer, the comic tells the story of admitting his elderly father into a retirement home.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
16 June 2026
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Chun serves as showrunner for the series based on the comic, written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Chip Zdarsky, which was originally published in 2013.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
15 June 2026
Noun
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Their purpose was partly decorative and partly protective, but the visual joke became unavoidable.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
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The fierce woman who always wore black, who could light up a room with her sly jokes and smoky laughter, grew quieter and more fragile after losing her lover.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Senate Republican Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, is pictured on the Illinois Senate floor in May 2026.—
Ben Szalinski,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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So, too, did his paintings of lovers and friends that quietly expanded what could be pictured and celebrated in modern art.—
Jerry Saltz,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cartoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cartoon. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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