as in parody
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect
it is interesting to note that the first novel ever written in English was followed by a burlesque of it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to parody
to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of
burlesquing the teacher's nervous tic isn't very nice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burlesque
Roger Kisby,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Our team was honored to play host to weddings, retirement parties, wakes, drag & burlesque shows, birthday parties, jazz nights, baby showers, corporate events, nonprofit fundraisers, and so much more.
—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
12 Feb. 2026
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2026
During that visit, Manson spoke about his friendship with French-Chilean artist Alejandro Jodorowsky, who lived in Mexico during the 1970s and 1980s and officiated Manson’s wedding to burlesque performer Dita Von Teese in Ireland in 2005.
—
Natalia Cano,
Billboard,
11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burlesque
Noun
Over 21 polished acts, Ms. Von Teese and her cast of dancers prove just how exhilaratingly eclectic burlesque can be (memorable moments include a male-on-male tango scene and a dreamy number involving a giant clamshell and an inflatable pearl).
—
Roger Kisby,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Our team was honored to play host to weddings, retirement parties, wakes, drag & burlesque shows, birthday parties, jazz nights, baby showers, corporate events, nonprofit fundraisers, and so much more.
—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
One burlesqued the Oscar broadcast’s impending move to YouTube, in 2029.
—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2026
During that visit, Manson spoke about his friendship with French-Chilean artist Alejandro Jodorowsky, who lived in Mexico during the 1970s and 1980s and officiated Manson’s wedding to burlesque performer Dita Von Teese in Ireland in 2005.
—
Natalia Cano,
Billboard,
11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burlesque
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burlesque
Noun
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Their outmoded style, with its seriousness and corniness, its big acting choices and low budgets, is basically impossible to recreate without falling into parody.
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Frankie stars in the musical comedy, a parody of the 1997 blockbuster Titanic set to a score of songs by Céline Dion.
Verb
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Within a couple of hours, Wilkins’ replies to the post were flooded with accusations of favoritism, questioning the use of taxpayer funds to book her and mocking her sincerity about being chosen as a performer following high-profile exits from the event.
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The 19-year-old was mocked as a late first-round, early second-round selection.
Noun
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But given the current box office sensations of Obsession and Backrooms, Tiddes certainly wishes the timing had allowed for spoofs of those horror movies.
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Who series, but did play the Eleventh Doctor in The Curse of Fatal Death spoof, and in other special broadcasts.
Verb
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Those still carry weight, but many have become easier to acquire, finance, or imitate.
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Once the squid gather near the surface, lines fitted with bait are lowered into the water and rapidly jerked up and down to imitate small prey such as shrimp, triggering strikes before the catch is reeled aboard.
Noun
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Why does satire sometimes reveal truth more effectively than journalism?
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The Disney+ show about a struggling actor with actual superpowers who struggles to land a role in a superhero movie is as much of a Hollywood satire as a comic book adaptation.
Cite this Entry
“Burlesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burlesque. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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