1
as in harlequin
a comically dressed performer (as at a circus) who entertains with playful tricks and ridiculous behavior
a clown wearing big floppy shoes and a red wig
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2
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
you should stay away from that clown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in to cut up
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clown
Lauren Coates, Variety, 3 Feb. 2025
The back-up dancers were a colorful mix of rodeo clowns, the performance ending with a passionate guitar display and an expression of confident satisfaction from Roan.
—Evan Nicole Brown, TIME, 3 Feb. 2025
Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Yes — the face of an entire horror franchise with his twisted portrayal of It clown Pennywise — was more than ready to set free Robert Eggers‘ Nosferatu.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clown 
Noun
Flanked by an army of rodeo clowns and seated on a massive pink horse, Roan (in custom Steve Madden cowboy boots and plenty of fringe) belted out her first single as the crowd (led by Janelle Monáe) sang along.
—Lauren Coates, Variety, 3 Feb. 2025
The back-up dancers were a colorful mix of rodeo clowns, the performance ending with a passionate guitar display and an expression of confident satisfaction from Roan.
—Evan Nicole Brown, TIME, 3 Feb. 2025
Verb
It's taken my focus away as well, so maybe a little less clowning and more focus on the actual victory.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Yes — the face of an entire horror franchise with his twisted portrayal of It clown Pennywise — was more than ready to set free Robert Eggers‘ Nosferatu.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clown
Noun
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But this harlequin moll can’t match Joker’s lunacy as either lawbreaker or musician.—
Armond White,
National Review,
29 Nov. 2024
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The doll, which is called the Witch Weaver, wears flared bell-bottoms, a gossamer harlequin blouse, gold waistcoat and crystal headpiece — taking inspiration from Reed’s signature design codes, personal style and even Lady Gaga.—
Violet Goldstone,
WWD,
21 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Sarah Garrahan & Sue Ding; 2025; USA; 14 min At a photography studio in a Wild West theme park, visitors masquerade as modern visions of the American West.—
Addie Morfoot,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2025
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As part of a sextortion scheme, Lawal allegedly masqueraded as a young woman on social media and sent Gavin nude photos.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN,
29 Jan. 2025
Verb
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By sector, technology suffered the worst, with job cuts up 128 percent on-month to 7,488, followed by automotive (123 percent), services (106 percent), retail (96 percent), and media and news (27 percent).—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
13 Feb. 2025
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In the frying process, those odd crumbles can be cut up in a casual manner with a spatula.—
Cathy Thomas,
Orange County Register,
10 Feb. 2025
Noun
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By the end, the lecturer had argued that the term was in fact a meaningful one, used by Nietzsche to describe not only a buffoon who struggles to come to grips with modern ideas, but also the unconscious buffoon who does not question his own pathos.—
Tania Roettger,
The Dial,
5 Dec. 2024
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Since graduation, Chen has racked up assignments in Mozart, Beethoven, Donizetti, Verdi, Wagner, and Puccini with opera companies and symphony orchestras across the United States and in Europe, often as the motormouth buffoons and weasels of classic comedies.—
airmail.news,
airmail.news,
7 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Diagnosed first with Jeavons syndrome in 2018/19—a rare form of epilepsy characterized by absence seizures and eyelid jerks—a 1,000-gene epilepsy panel in 2020 revealed further health problems.—
George Monastiriakos,
Newsweek,
30 Dec. 2024
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My job was to go over there and not be a jerk and try to advance the stand-up ball a couple of yards for the next guy that comes over there.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In the clip, Sunday Rose mimed playing the flute as the sounds of woodwinds accompanied the video.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
30 Jan. 2025
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However, he had been fired from the band before the album’s release, due to disagreements with frontman David Coverdale, and saw two other guitarists miming his parts in the songs’ videos and touring extensively with the band during its peak years.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In the video, Payne is shown horsing around with a large outdoor crowd and his bandmates, encouraging the fans to quiet their screaming and then raise the volume all the way back up.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA TODAY,
3 Feb. 2025
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The unidentified pre-teen was horsing around and throwing snowballs in Connecticut’s capital city with an 11-year-old friend, local ABC affiliate WTNH reported.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The ceremony was hosted by comedian Eddie Kadi and Love Island star Indiyah Polack and broadcast live on YouTube.—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
18 Feb. 2025
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On March 1, comedian Shane Gillis will host an episode featuring Canadian pop star Tate McRae.—
Matthew Strauss,
Pitchfork,
18 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Clown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clown. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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