as in silly
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
she's always off on some screwball plan
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in eccentric
a person of odd or whimsical habits
a screwball who liked to save lint and bits of string
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of screwball
Darren Franich, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2023
Little wonder the screwball comedy is practically a lost genre.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 21 May 2020
Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
In a Best Picture race that often privileges likability, Baker’s screwball comedy benefits from its underdog scrappiness, a quality that has also made star Mikey Madison into one of the few sure things in the unpredictable Best Actress race.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 21 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for screwball 
Adjective
Each event becomes screwball one-act with different chaos ensembles.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2023
Little wonder the screwball comedy is practically a lost genre.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 21 May 2020
Noun
To prepare, Scott grew a pencil mustache, rented a zoot suit, and studied classic screwball comedies.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
In a Best Picture race that often privileges likability, Baker’s screwball comedy benefits from its underdog scrappiness, a quality that has also made star Mikey Madison into one of the few sure things in the unpredictable Best Actress race.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 21 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for screwball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwball
Adjective
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In a follow-up post, Spears shared a cute video of a young girl telling silly jokes.Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 4 Jan. 2025
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The silly yet snappy song propelled Mr. Vail, 27, to a new level of internet fame almost overnight.Alyson Krueger, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Robert Redford delivers folksy wisdom as a local eccentric who once had his own dragon encounter, and even Karl Urban’s greedy logger is more of a nuisance than an outright villain.Josh Bell, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2024
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This business is all about the little eccentrics out there who get lost in the shuffle.Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The characterizations are absurd in both concept and performance.Armond White, National Review, 3 Jan. 2025
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We’re told the feature will delve deeper into themes of identity, technology, and self-perception while retaining the darkly comedic and absurd tone that defined the short.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 2 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Joumana explained to me that the festival’s original intention was not only to promote Lebanon on a global stage, but also to orient its budding national character toward Europe, an effort for which the recognizable heritage of the Roman ruins offered the ideal venue.Youmna Melhem Chamieh, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
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However, his refusal to join a local White Citizens Council -- which led to a boycott of his peanut business -- spoke volumes about his character.Philip Martin, arkansasonline.com, 2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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So ridiculous the referee initially had trouble believing that anyone could be so reckless & stupid.The Athletic UK Staff, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
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And there was no such thing ever as a bad decision or a stupid question.Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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If the young shortstop is truly as good as gone, the Blue Jays would be foolish not to trade him.Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
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While admirable, the plan to resettle the poor was foolish in retrospect as the Low Country soil is sandy and the weather too hot for farming.Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Tauruses will go crazy for something chic, functional, and soft to the touch.Meghan Rose, Glamour, 9 Feb. 2023
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Before getting into the chaos of episode 5, that episode 4 cliff hanger was crazy.Calie Schepp, EW.com, 6 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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The elaborate choreography and colorful vision match Vincente Minnelli’s style but underneath carry a delirious energy equal to Ken Russell’s maddest visions of neurotic excess.Armond White, National Review, 10 Jan. 2025
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Everton had many mad weeks under former owner Farhad Moshiri, but this one has rivalled them.Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near screwball
Cite this Entry
“Screwball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwball. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
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