stooge

noun

Definition of stoogenext
1
as in flunkey

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in buffoon

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stooge With these three stooges in charge, what could possibly go wrong? — Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 17 Dec. 2024 Insurance commissioners have too often been industry stooges. — Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024 When designing the characters, Terrazas was constantly thinking about contrasts; how a leader would look next to his stooges, how Páramo’s guys would be identifiable without him on screen. — Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 The original film was about ragtag academics versus corporate stooges, but in the sequel, everyone’s out for a buck. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 16 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for stooge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stooge
  1. buffoon
  2. lackey
  3. clown
  4. sycophant
  5. poser
  6. henchman
  7. harlequin
  8. minion
Noun
  • Adam Silver, once the model for league commissioners, is suddenly a buffoon?
    — Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2025
  • The character with which I have been identified, that of the raucous buffoon, is merely a studied portrayal.
    — Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
Definition of buffoon
Noun
  • Neither Evil Steve Jobs nor his mercenary lackey are given much of a motor and oppressive presence.
    — Courtney Howard, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The long-tail effect of all this is to make Quinn and all his many lackeys seem as toothless a threat as Zachary Beck is.
    — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of lackey
Noun
  • Parsons called him a jealous clown, in so many words.
    — Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Who was the biggest Death of a Unicorn class clown?
    — Jack Smart, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of clown
Noun
  • What may be worse is that a gaggle of sycophants and groupthink team members underneath the Dark Empath—the direct reports—create a ruthless echo chamber for the king or queen at the top of Mt. Stupid.
    — Dan Pontefract, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Of course, Veep’s sycophants, buffoons, and backstabbers bear little resemblance to the vanguard of our latest regime.
    — Judy Berman, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025
Definition of sycophant
Noun
  • After the release of Elden Ring, a famously difficult bestseller, Musk posted a screenshot of his character, but his build instantly exposed him as a poser.
    — Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
  • This poser is hard to work through when we are only given the text.
    — Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 14 Jan. 2025
Definition of poser
Noun
  • Back in Montana, every trip Jacob and company take to Bozeman and back is inevitably fraught with peril — if not instigated by dastardly rich guy Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) and/or his henchman Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn), then by the pitiless nature of extreme weather.
    — Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2025
  • In Lynch’s festering neo-noir mystery from 1987, Hopper plays a chronic villain perpetually sipping from a tank of amyl nitrate and handing out hits as a way to manipulate his henchmen.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of henchman
Noun
  • Once infused with the diabolical spirit, the guide is transformed into a buffoon, complete with a harlequin outfit—a mad joker and a dancing fool who does a little jig to the sound of a jazz trio.
    — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2025
  • But this harlequin moll can’t match Joker’s lunacy as either lawbreaker or musician.
    — Armond White, National Review, 29 Nov. 2024
Definition of harlequin
Noun
  • The dancer parts include minions, palace guards, enchanted birds and a hunting party.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Two months into Donald Trump’s second term, his Republican attack dogs, including Elon Musk and his minions at DOGE, are still busy chewing into many parts of the federal government.
    — John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Definition of minion

Browse Nearby Words

stood up to
stooge
stooges
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stooge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stooge. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on stooge

Nglish: Translation of stooge for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All