clown·ery
| \ ˈklau̇-nə-rē
\
\
plural clowneries
Definition of clownery
: clownish behavior or an instance of clownishness : buffoonery
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Synonyms for clownery
Synonyms
- buffoonery,
- clowning,
- foolery,
- high jinks
- (also hijinks),
- horseplay,
- horsing around,
- monkey business,
- monkeying,
- monkeyshine(s),
- roughhouse,
- roughhousing,
- shenanigan(s),
- skylarking,
- slapstick,
- tomfoolery
Examples of clownery in a Sentence
it was clownery like that that resulted in an expensive vase being broken
Recent Examples on the Web
Chronicle Books In the world of clownery, tradition has long dictated that a clown must never steal another clown’s look.
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Constance Grady, Vox, "In the clowning world, you stop people from stealing your face by painting it onto an egg," 20 Aug. 2018
Seems as if the airlines are still clowning and being targeted with lawsuits because of the clownery.
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Breanna Edwards, The Root, "Nigerian Woman, Who Was Removed From United Flight After a White Passenger Complained She Was ‘Pungent,’ Files Lawsuit," 14 May 2018
DeVos, the country’s most useless white woman and a case study for how institutions both favor and are eroded by white mediocrity, became the literal face of clownery following the appalling interview.
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Anne Branigin, The Root, "Betsy DeVos Becomes the Face of Clownery After Trainwreck 60 Minutes Interview," 12 Mar. 2018
Either one of his performances would have been noteworthy, but that the same person should be playing both parts (as well as that of Mr. Wickham) is a truly stupendous piece of quick-change clownery.
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Terry Teachout, WSJ, "A Shakespeare Festival for the 21st Century," 6 July 2017
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clownery.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Cite this Entry
“Clownery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clownery. Accessed 9 Mar. 2021.
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The first known use of clownery was in 1589
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