as in clowns
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 buffoons
The two buffoons shave her head, chain her in the basement of a messy remote home and then accuse her of being an alien.
—
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
But times have changed, and this team of buffoons is forced to grapple with changing industry ethics and sensationalist journalism in its transition, all while Ron faces an identity crisis that challenges his bravado, his massive ego.
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
But times have changed, and this team of buffoons is forced to grapple with changing industry ethics and sensationalist journalism in its transition, all while Ron faces an identity crisis that challenges his bravado, his massive ego.
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buffoons
clowns
Noun
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In front of him, idolatrous Republican lawmakers popped up and down to applaud like clowns in wind-up music boxes of old.—
Jackie Calmes,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026
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An episodic framework, physical comedy, a small ensemble of actors who are all at home in their clowns and who will all, at some point, drop the mask to speak to us as themselves — for Ogawa, these are ways to bring effervescence and intimacy to the contemplation of insoluble, heavy things.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buffoons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buffoons. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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