as in absurd
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
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Here, Johnson applies a screwball procedural framework to a true story of tech-world boom and bust, building his movie on a clash of values and personalities.
—A.a. Dowd, Chron, 12 May 2023
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Purple and fluoro-flecked Fair Isle clothed Anna Sui’s 1930s screwball comedy heroines.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for screwball
Adjective
Invariably in screwball plots like this, the precious cargo ends up in the wrong hands.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Here, Johnson applies a screwball procedural framework to a true story of tech-world boom and bust, building his movie on a clash of values and personalities.
—A.a. Dowd, Chron, 12 May 2023
Noun
Romance is in the air, along with epic historical dramas, screwball comedies and much more.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Purple and fluoro-flecked Fair Isle clothed Anna Sui’s 1930s screwball comedy heroines.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for screwball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwball
Adjective
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My point wasn’t that men have had a harder time than women — that would be absurd.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
19 Aug. 2025
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Given the already substantial spend on incoming transfers, suggesting the club needs more, possibly sending its spending past the $500 million mark, seems absurd, almost greedy.—
James Nalton,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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These people’s histories range from the eccentric to the inspiring and are often stranger than fiction, memorable as well as consequential.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 July 2025
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Ra’s decades-long adherence to this personal mythology, along with his air of serene bemusement and his extravagant robes and headdresses, led to his popular image as a colorful eccentric.—
Ekow Eshun
July 11,
Literary Hub,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Alcaraz and Sinner are early enough in their careers that debates around their legacies feel silly.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
20 Aug. 2025
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Evans described Steve as goofy, silly, and full of charm, with a love for food and people alike.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In the decades between films, Spinal Tap have taken major steps into quasi-reality, releasing albums and touring in character, and the movie is able to use footage of moments like their actual 2007 Live Earth performance as flashbacks.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
31 Aug. 2025
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All the characters speak English, in either British or vaguely European accents, lifting Assayas from the burden of getting his actors to speak in a Russian tongue and helping to widen the casting net for one of his starriest ensembles.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Jess: The curds themselves are crispy, but the toast is stupid.—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
22 Aug. 2025
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The dialogue wasn’t dumbed down and stupid comic book stuff.—
William Earl,
Variety,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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August movie releases tend to be strange outliers: oddball comedies, horror, anything that might not have been able to compete with the Marvels and Jurassic Worlds out there.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
14 Aug. 2025
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Selecting a real-life cultural moment as inspiration feels like a great way to marry an oddball sensibility with something at least potentially commercial.—
Todd Gilchrist,
Variety,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Perhaps outright incarceration is foolish, but some responsibility should fall on the parents’ shoulders.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Aug. 2025
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Given that association with the Trumps and their circle defines the club, Donald, Jr., would be foolish to expect less than a fifth of any profits.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Caretaker’s Cottage on the grounds, consider stopping by the original.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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Don't worry, your guests will love these just as much as the original.—
Phoebe Evans,
Southern Living,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Screwball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwball. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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