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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slapstick
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
The final moments of the 119-113 loss were stuffed with the slapstick goofiness expected from a Tuesday night matchup between two sub-500 teams.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025
Ani’s fight for their relationship, which turns literal at times, is alternately slapstick and touching.
—Scott Tobias, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Starring Keke Palmer and SZA, the film's mashup of Hollywood and music royalty forms the backdrop for a buddy comedy that borrows from a long tradition of side-by-side slapstick flicks.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Noun
Emerging from the human printer never gets old, and there's one exceptional bit of slapstick where 17 is poisoned (on purpose, of course) at a fancy dinner.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
The final moments of the 119-113 loss were stuffed with the slapstick goofiness expected from a Tuesday night matchup between two sub-500 teams.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025
Ani’s fight for their relationship, which turns literal at times, is alternately slapstick and touching.
—Scott Tobias, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Starring Keke Palmer and SZA, the film's mashup of Hollywood and music royalty forms the backdrop for a buddy comedy that borrows from a long tradition of side-by-side slapstick flicks.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slapstick
Noun
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Yet horror movies dramatically outnumber comedies, particularly this year.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2025
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The comedy about journalists entering North Korea was Sony’s prime release circa the time of the 2014 Sony Pictures Entertainment hack and leaks, where Pascal’s email exchanges with Scott Rudin, among others, revealed comments many deemed to be racist.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Josh Hutcherson is back as Mike, the security guard who must babysit the zany, spooky and dumpy Chuck E. Cheese-like pizza parlor.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2025
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With Love, Meghan became the talk of the town thanks to its delectable recipes (the honey cake is a win), while The Residence quickly gained fans for its zany whodunnit plot.—
Alicia Lansom,
Refinery29,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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For her performance, Clarkson sported a Buffalo Bills jacket — a nod to that day’s guest, Hailee Steinfeld, who is engaged to quarterback Josh Allen — and kept her vocal arrangement free of any of her signature high notes or riffs, letting the humor of Crow’s lyrics speak for itself.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
9 Apr. 2025
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The role sees Williams’s character balancing humor and tragedy up until her final moments.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 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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Chances are its uninhibited critique of privilege, political satire, and wicked social commentary would be softened or edited out.—
Viren Naidu,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2025
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The satire, co-created by Rogen and longtime partner Evan Goldberg— along with Perez, Pete Huyck (Veep) and Alex Gregory — explores the tension inherent in filmmaking as both an art form and a business.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Six books offer readers armchair travel, amusing characters, and a dash of history.—
Yvonne Zipp,
Christian Science Monitor,
1 Apr. 2025
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Thankfully, in the case of Mark, the reality proved to be something much more amusing.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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His is a sort of erudite buffoonery that consistently tap-dances between clever, self-aware, and patently stupid.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2025
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There is, in fact, real stagecraft along with the buffoonery.—
Susan B. Glasser,
The New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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An otherwise entertaining year became quite messy in the final stages and ended on a sour note.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Mar. 2025
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March Madness has been as entertaining as ever, with the men’s and women’s tournaments filled with stunning performances, thrilling finishes and excruciating heartbreak.—
Bob Harkins,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slapstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slapstick. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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