1
as in parodies
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
that TV network's reporting is a mere caricature of real journalism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spoofs
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect
the artist creates caricatures of famous paintings by replacing humans with cats
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in exaggerations
the representation of something in terms that go beyond the facts
the mayor has presented only a caricature of his opponent's views
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in mocks
to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of
caricatured the supervisor's distinctive walk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of caricatures
Neda Ulaby, NPR, 6 Oct. 2025
The characters are bright, marionette-like caricatures whom the author constructs and moves ostentatiously in full view of the reader, revealing his artistic devices with a sense of absurd, mischievous humor.
—Nelly Klos
september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Here, Köhler avoids the temptation to make caricatures out of either the fiery journalists or the defensive cast and crew.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
Kimmel, like Stephen Colbert, went from acting as boorish right-wing caricatures to playing themselves — that is, liberals who dislike Trump and support vaccines.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The characters are turning into caricatures — especially Martin Short’s Oliver Putnam.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
The same red flannel was often featured in caricatures of Mammy.
—Danielle Amir Jackson, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
The rapport between these two veteran actors turn what could have been seriously dodgy caricatures into a first-rate double act — think Abbott and Costello with sidecurls and silencers.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025
The Sex Lives of College Girls took an honorable stab, but the characters can feel like caricatures.
—Nikki Sternberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
Performers milled on the street with bobbing paper mache heads of Uncle Sam and other caricatures.
—Neda Ulaby, NPR, 6 Oct. 2025
The characters are bright, marionette-like caricatures whom the author constructs and moves ostentatiously in full view of the reader, revealing his artistic devices with a sense of absurd, mischievous humor.
—Nelly Klos
september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Here, Köhler avoids the temptation to make caricatures out of either the fiery journalists or the defensive cast and crew.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
Kimmel, like Stephen Colbert, went from acting as boorish right-wing caricatures to playing themselves — that is, liberals who dislike Trump and support vaccines.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The characters are turning into caricatures — especially Martin Short’s Oliver Putnam.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
The same red flannel was often featured in caricatures of Mammy.
—Danielle Amir Jackson, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
The rapport between these two veteran actors turn what could have been seriously dodgy caricatures into a first-rate double act — think Abbott and Costello with sidecurls and silencers.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025
The Sex Lives of College Girls took an honorable stab, but the characters can feel like caricatures.
—Nikki Sternberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caricatures
Noun
-
Death, of course, is never permanent in slasher movies, or parodies of slasher movies, for that matter.—
Skyler Trepel,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Pop-culture figures like Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolfman are so ubiquitous as to be both movie characters and parodies of themselves, and this DuckTales episode is good for any kids that like monsters but aren’t quite ready to be menaced by them yet.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For instance, think back to when everyone was doing spoofs about titles that dealt with women in trains or in windows or in peril.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Indeed, Altman, by virtue of the sheer number of spoofs, appears to have joined the pantheon of comic figures alongside South Park’s Eric Cartman and Family Guy’s Peter Griffin.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Too often, these nations assume such threats are bluffs or exaggerations because their own logic struggles to grasp that someone would be so blatant.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Oct. 2025
-
There’ll be scenes that are inspired on certain realities, and there’ll be exaggerations.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Cuomo mocks Mamdani’s thin resume, just as Republicans derided Obama’s qualifications.—
Ben Adler,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
-
In Ringu, Sadako psychically kills a journalist who mocks her mother’s psychic abilities.—
Will Borger,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Of course, not all jokes can be so easily divided into these categories.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Plus, under the watchful eyes of veteran host Casey Wilson and newbie Andrew Rannells, the jokes never stop in the tent, as seen in another clip.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In Italy, Antonio Marras combined rugged denim with delicate lace and embroideries.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Fendi’s timeless style presents a new, comfortable one-shoulder maxi bag and a Peakaboo with an interior embellished with embroideries.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In Kim Kardashian's case, art imitates life.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
-
For ultraminimalists, this simple coverlet from Parachute imitates the look of a quilt without the fill, delivers on the work of a good throw blanket, and makes for a perfect year-round bed linen on account of its weight.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In the late 1800's and early 1900's, editorial cartoons regularly attacked Irish, Italian, Chinese and Jewish immigrants.—
NPR,
NPR,
29 Oct. 2025
-
These often casual racist depictions lasted well into the 20th century through mediums such as political cartoons, sports commentary and other popular culture.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Caricatures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caricatures. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share