as in clown
a comically dressed performer (as at a circus) who entertains with playful tricks and ridiculous behavior
the children at the birthday party giggled at the buffoon's silly tricks
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Recent Examples of buffoon
Capaldi himself was a phenomenal Doctor, bringing that trademark blend of grizzled warrior and cosmic buffoon, but his episodes were a bit hit-and-miss.
—
Richard Edwards, Space.com, 29 May 2025
Dylan Maxwell could easily have been an unsympathetic buffoon, but there’s a distinct love for (and in most cases, an appreciation of) the people behind the teen archetypes on display.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 20 May 2025
Problematic to be sure, but also a very in-character move for an ignorant buffoon.
—Ben Rosenstock, Time, 6 May 2025
Read: Comedy’s most erudite buffoon Mulaney has many advantages at Netflix that his conventional-television peers don’t, however.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buffoon
Richard Edwards, Space.com, 29 May 2025
Dylan Maxwell could easily have been an unsympathetic buffoon, but there’s a distinct love for (and in most cases, an appreciation of) the people behind the teen archetypes on display.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 20 May 2025
Problematic to be sure, but also a very in-character move for an ignorant buffoon.
—Ben Rosenstock, Time, 6 May 2025
Read: Comedy’s most erudite buffoon Mulaney has many advantages at Netflix that his conventional-television peers don’t, however.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buffoon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buffoon
clown
Noun
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Former Des Plaines officer Mike Albrecht recalled to NBC Chicago that when police were assigned to surveil Gacy after Piest's disappearance, the part-time clown would try to pal around with officers and invite them into his house.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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The girls are just as down to clown, coming up with funny drunk poses and faces.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Buffoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buffoon. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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