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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of screwball
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
Over the course of the novel, each Flynn girl is suspended from school at least once for some screwball infraction, including spreading conspiratorial theories about covert surveillance operations in town, punching another kid in the face, and preparing to commit an act of domestic terrorism.
—Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
Over the course of the novel, each Flynn girl is suspended from school at least once for some screwball infraction, including spreading conspiratorial theories about covert surveillance operations in town, punching another kid in the face, and preparing to commit an act of domestic terrorism.
—Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for screwball
Adjective
The best of all sports-movie subgenres, football films have given us great characters – real and fictional – and a bunch of awesome cinematic moments in everything from screwball comedies to real-life narratives.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
Over the course of the novel, each Flynn girl is suspended from school at least once for some screwball infraction, including spreading conspiratorial theories about covert surveillance operations in town, punching another kid in the face, and preparing to commit an act of domestic terrorism.
—Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
Nessa Hyams, a groundbreaking casting director of the New Hollywood whose work on such 1970s masterpieces as Peter Bogdanovich’s screwball comedy What’s Up, Doc?, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist and Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles, died January 9 at her home in Manhattan.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
Over the course of the novel, each Flynn girl is suspended from school at least once for some screwball infraction, including spreading conspiratorial theories about covert surveillance operations in town, punching another kid in the face, and preparing to commit an act of domestic terrorism.
—Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for screwball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwball
Adjective
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And the hour-long results that premiere on the platform Friday are a mix of the cerebral and silly that audiences have come to expect from the Problemista filmmaker and former Saturday Night Live writer.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
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Now, though, to look only at coaches with UNC already on their resume would be silly.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In 2015, Robert Durst, a wealthy eccentric linked to two killings and his wife’s disappearance, was arrested by the FBI in New Orleans on a murder warrant a day before HBO aired the final episode of a serial documentary about his life.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Feb. 2026
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On her trail are a Báthory relative who is vegetarian (Thomas Schubert), his psychotherapist (Lars Eidinger), two vampirologists, a police inspector and a gallery of eccentrics.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Which is an absurd list of options for a kid who barely played high school ball.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
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The question of whether California should abolish property taxes almost seems absurd.—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Kevin MacEgan said his father’s honor, wisdom, kindness and character will serve as his lasting legacy.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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The deal gave Disney a large equity stake and called for the creation of an entirely new digital universe built around Disney characters and stories, where users could engage in immersive entertainment and shopping.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Of course, sometimes the situation is more serious than stupid.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
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The American people are not stupid and will not accept more failure theater from Republicans in Congress.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Broadway team may have hoped to heighten the contradictions further, by focussing more tightly on New York oddballs under pressure.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
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In Season 1, eight years after an unforgivable mistake nukes his promising college football career, hotshot quarterback Russ Holliday (Powell) tries to resurrect his dreams by disguising himself as Chad Powers — a talented oddball who walks on to the struggling South Georgia Catfish.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Hatosy’s Titus is the Danforths’ disappointing fail son and the actor keeps his face in a delightfully foolish little pout.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
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Your fast response and decisive actions prevented this foolish criminal act from endangering the rest of the county.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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If he was convicted, a jury would then have to decide whether Abril was insane when the park shooting occurred.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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And the culture is happily playing along in the name of this insane thirst of Stan culture to have something on the other side.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Screwball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwball. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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