burlesques 1 of 2

Definition of burlesquesnext
plural of burlesque
as in parodies
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

Relevance

burlesques

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of burlesque
See the Dictionary Definition 

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for burlesques
Noun
  • His most viral videos include skits about dueling Drake and Kendrick Lamar tracks and parodies amplifying more serious lyrical messages in popular party music.
    Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026
  • Broadway, top-heavy with musical parodies and attention-grabbing revivals, is having a strange season by all accounts.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • And after running expansion mocks before the April 3 proceedings, the Tempo anticipated veteran wing Bridget Carleton — native of Chatham, Ontario – would be available for the second pick.
    Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 8 May 2026
  • But her desperation seems exposed at Cupertino, too, where Little Tim mocks her for her dim suggestion that psychotherapists be deployed to the company’s Guangzhou factory to cool down a labor crisis.
    Scott Tobias, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The success of more straightforward spoofs such as Schaffer’s The Naked Gun last year is also reassuring; that film was a classic joke-a-minute throwback that largely worked (for both viewers and critics), more in line with the sort of fare that the Lonely Island made early on.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Retro Rewind players run a Blockbuster Video-like movie-rental store set in the early 1990s, complete with spoofs of real blockbusters of the era.
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The pieces are all made from fade- and weather-resistant poly material, which even imitates the look of wood grain for a more stylish finish.
    Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Aristotle said that art imitates nature (ars imitatur naturam), and for centuries, many artists sought to imitate their subjects as realistically as possible.
    Andrey Mir, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Filmmakers have used the Civil War as a setting for many decades now, inspiring stories of epic military battles, romantic melodramas, and even satires, from sweeping Best Picture winners like Gone With the Wind (1939) to revisionist Westerns like Django Unchained (2012).
    Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
  • The role demands charisma, vocal chops, and sharp comedic timing, all deployed within one of the most cynical satires in the musical theater canon.
    Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Burlesques.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burlesques. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on burlesques

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster