CARTOON Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

cartoon 1 of 2

noun

kär-ˈtün

Definition of cartoon

as in sketch

a picture using lines to represent the chief features of an object or scene a political cartoon mocking the state legislature

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in strip

a series of drawings that tell a story or part of a story reading the cartoons in the Sunday newspaper

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in parody

a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something in this biopic the life of a complex man is reduced to a cartoon

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cartoon

2 of 2

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 cartoon

Noun

The music is used in a scene where Alex watches his brother fight while the cartoon score plays, syncing humorously with the action. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026 The Incredible Hulk, the Thing, He-Man, Superman—these cartoon heroes must fulfill some kind of longing. — Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026 Ridicule and mockery are ubiquitous in industrialized societies, from political cartoons to social media. — Christopher Von Rueden, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2026 Perhaps like one’s heart crisply split in two, spilling its squelched juices, like the baobab fruit broken open by the stylish monkey in The Lion King, my favorite vintage cartoon. — Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cartoon

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cartoon

Noun

The team’s coach, Mike Ditka, who died last week, was immortalized in a series of Saturday Night Live sketches.

— Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Canaletto expert Charles Beddington authenticated the drawing, which was likely a preparatory sketch for a painting last sold in 1995 for $354,000 (about $766,000 in today’s dollars).

— News Desk, Artforum, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of sketch

Noun

There’s no winking at the audience, no sense of camp or parody, just a lot of appealing interactions, plus some wholly superfluous tertiary plots added to expand the story to series length.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
The punch-worthy parody of Altman’s characterization ramps up once he’s motivated to push back against — or trample over — the safety guardrails that Ilya prizes above all else, but so does the depth of his world-breaking cynicism.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of parody

Verb

However, the film has a complex legacy because of its prominent use of blackface, the theatrical makeup used to crudely caricature African Americans.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026
In creative, advanced age is omitted or caricatured, reducing relevance before the message has a chance to work.

— Ray Lansigan, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of caricature

Noun

The drawings were extraordinary, but the text — while unsurprisingly playful — was also tropey and wanting, and the wanting came in waves.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 Oct. 2026
That wasn’t the Mega Millions jackpot, now up to $385 million for Tuesday’s drawing.

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of drawing

Noun

As the movie demonstrates, Macdonald’s credentials as a comic’s comic were unassailable.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Another comic, Bill Scheft, says the people who poked fun at Seinfeld still respected his craftsmanship (and were probably a little jealous of his success).

— Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of comic

Noun

Fitoussi said the project began almost as a joke, with the idea of casting one of France’s busiest actors as someone who never gets to act.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
This set off a series of jokes between Meriwether and the cast, along with confirmation that there are no real plans for a reunion at this time.

— Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of joke

Verb

According to Vogue, on display in the sunroom (presumably where Dietrich is pictured here) was a piece called Zebra and Black Panther With Cacti, signed by the artist Charles Baskerville.

— Juliana Ukiomogbe, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026
That is until yachting fan King Constantine of Greece spotted an advertisement in Time magazine that pictured a Hublot against the background of a raging sea with a glimpse of sailboat in the corner.

— Simon de Burton, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of picture

Browse Nearby Words

cartons

cartoon

cartooned

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Style

“Cartoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cartoon. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of cartoon

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

webtoon

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