1
as in comedy
humorous entertainment
an actor whose roles range from slapstick to serious drama
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2
as in hijinks
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
a lowbrow comedy that relies heavily on slapstick for its laughs
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in zany
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slapstick
Lee Sharrock, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
The stark beauty of Samuel Beckett’s absurdist classic, part music hall romp, part abstract painting, was awakened in a production starring two gifted comics who didn’t overplay their slapstick hands, Rainn Wilson and Aasif Mandvi.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
Yet alongside the slapstick and door-slamming and precarious vocal gymnastics, Will’s production also accessed the original story’s subversiveness, as well as its heartache.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
Mixing drama, slapstick and pathos, Gandolfini stars as a deeply shy, highly allergic Circuit-Shack employee desperate to ask his colleague, played by Olivia Nikkanen, out on a date.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Noun
After an enjoyable slapstick first half, the play veers towards more difficult subjects that are never fully explored.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
The stark beauty of Samuel Beckett’s absurdist classic, part music hall romp, part abstract painting, was awakened in a production starring two gifted comics who didn’t overplay their slapstick hands, Rainn Wilson and Aasif Mandvi.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
Yet alongside the slapstick and door-slamming and precarious vocal gymnastics, Will’s production also accessed the original story’s subversiveness, as well as its heartache.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
Mixing drama, slapstick and pathos, Gandolfini stars as a deeply shy, highly allergic Circuit-Shack employee desperate to ask his colleague, played by Olivia Nikkanen, out on a date.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slapstick
Noun
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Smashing a watermelon with a giant mallet to the messy delight of audiences, Leo Gallagher became one of the biggest comedy acts of the 1980s and shot to superstardom.—
Addie Morfoot,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2025
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Again, there’s no hard and fast definition for what constitutes a dumb comedy.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
TIME,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Its eccentricity is endless, with a heartfelt solo here, a zany sequence there, and a glitzy grand finale to cap it all off.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
21 Mar. 2025
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But, from the look of things in the two-and-a-half-minute clip — which reveals that Hampton owes a debt to a group of local gangsters, among other zany roadblocks — this comeback won’t be a cakewalk.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The scripts of the new series are laugh-out-loud funny, managing a delicate balance of raucous, lewd and sweet humor.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA TODAY,
17 Mar. 2025
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Conan was the perfect host – skillfully guiding us through the evening with humor, warmth and reverence.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But Victor leans less into clownish mortification than her predecessors, making room instead for a delicate quietude and sincerity.—
Jon Frosch,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019
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Redheads often fielded comments related to having a hot temper, being clownish, weirdness, Irishness, not capable of being in the sun, being wild (among women), wimpy (among men), and intellectually superior.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The superhero movie satire from creator/executive producer Jon Brown had Oscar winner Sam Mendes and Emmy-winning frequent HBO collaborator Armando Iannucci as executive producers.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
10 Mar. 2025
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For Bong, this approach is vital for his films, as that human element grounds movies that effortlessly shift among satire, pathos, action, and genre.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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A couple’s weekend getaway with their parents takes a supernatural turn in The Parenting, an amusing horror adventure directed by Craig Johnson (Wilson, Alex Strangelove) from a screenplay by Kent Sublette (Saturday Night Live).—
Lovia Gyarkye,
The Hollywood Reporter,
12 Mar. 2025
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His effort to put an amusing spin on the buyer’s remorse is certainly a cut above the anti-Musk bumper stickers that have become internet bestsellers and now adorn many a Tesla — including Cybertrucks.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But through the lens of director Bong’s twisted sense of humor, that buffoonery comes from somewhere dark.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
6 Mar. 2025
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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
Adjective
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In the backyard, outdoor entertaining embraces unending water views at every opportunity.—
Karen A. Avitabile,
Hartford Courant,
16 Mar. 2025
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The layout is both practical and elegant, with a kitchen that remains slightly tucked away for a clean aesthetic while still flowing seamlessly into the main living areas—ideal for entertaining and everyday life.—
Prime Development,
Kansas City Star,
16 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to slapstick
Cite this Entry
“Slapstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slapstick. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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