as in joking
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
our coworker's clowning was distracting, but fun to watch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in miming
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in cutting up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clowning
Noun
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There are no gilded gates here, but there is one heck of a party, complete with serenading busts, ballroom dancers, excitable opera singers, drunken buffoonery and portraits locked in an endless duel.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2025 -
What’s so special about Britain’s patron wanker of bighearted buffoonery?—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The dog's posture in the viral clip is unsurprising because research has shown that canines are capable of imitating human actions.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
-
Art is imitating life for Jennifer Lopez.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
2 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Tirhakah Love is a senior writer at New York Magazine and the host of the new evening newsletter Dinner Party, a daily email that touches on all things entertainment — that means film, television, music, tech, and gaming — plus politics and corporate clownery.—
Vulture,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2022
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The Winx Club live action is a big clownery!—
Olivia Truffaut-Wong,
refinery29.com,
25 Jan. 2021
Noun
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If humans can use emotional tomfoolery to prevail over AI, there is a certain kind of endearing fulfillment in doing so.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
10 Jan. 2025
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Aside from those two couple moments, Turner's post also included plenty of tomfoolery with friends and documented some of her travels — from skiing in January to an October trip to an ancient temple in Egypt.—
Julia Moore,
People.com,
6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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And yes, there were cases on public roads where the horseplay turned dangerous.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
22 Jan. 2025
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On my gondola, however, horseplay is not only encouraged, it is required.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside Online,
24 Sep. 2024
Noun
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The film's slapstick comedy and script launched the career of screenwriters Peter and Bobby Farrelly, displayed Daniels' range as an actor and established Carrey as a box office draw.—
Brendan Le,
People.com,
17 Jan. 2025
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Strap-on dildos are often tools of slapstick humor on TV or around the internet — as Broad City or And Just Like That viewers can vouch — and often the joke relies on the difficulty or cumbersome nature of using one.—
Sofia Barrett-Ibarria,
Them,
8 Jan. 2025
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Thesaurus Entries Near clowning
Cite this Entry
“Clowning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clowning. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
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