CARTOON Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

cartoon 1 of 2

noun

kär-ˈtün

Definition of cartoon

as in sketch

a picture using lines to represent the chief features of an object or scene a political cartoon mocking the state legislature

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in strip

a series of drawings that tell a story or part of a story reading the cartoons in the Sunday newspaper

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in parody

a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something in this biopic the life of a complex man is reduced to a cartoon

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cartoon

2 of 2

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 cartoon

Noun

Contemporary cartoons sometimes show water-takers heading for the restrooms in great urgency. — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 9 July 2026 What started as a cartoon joke has grown into a full social media movement, especially among Gen Z creators looking for a reason to break out the fake cobwebs early. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 8 July 2026 He is known for larger-than-life sculptures and hard-edge paintings that feature his hybrid cartoon characters. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026 Anyone can use a GenAI tool to create, and then profit from, a short story in the style of Margaret Atwood or a cartoon in the style of Sarah Andersen. — Zoey Forbes, The Dial, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cartoon

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cartoon

Noun

Engineers could move more quickly from sketches to testable 3D designs, reducing development costs, shortening design cycles, and exploring a wider range of ideas without creating large amounts of new training data.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026
Larry David’s 'Pursuit of Unhappiness' Comedy's favorite curmudgeon teamed up with an A-list cast and a former president for a new HBO sketch comedy show about American history and the inconveniences our historical heroes faced.

— Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 17 July 2026

Definition of sketch

Noun

On the tour of East Asia a year ago, Liverpool had to wear the previous season’s Nike strip and delayed confirming squad numbers as the new contract with Adidas didn’t start until August 1.

— James Pearce, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Bangkok’s thirst for new rooftop cocktail bars is being slaked these days at Sanctuary, which offers a view of the glimmering Sukhumvit strip — Bangkok’s Broadway — 34 floors below.

— The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026

Definition of strip

Noun

But the show is not a parody; where Hollis’ Martha Stewart domesticity could easily tip into satire, it’s treated as a legitimate trauma response to losing her nuclear family at an early age.

— Alison Herman, Variety, 9 July 2026
There should honestly be a sequel parody of Twister where the storm chasers use tornados to cover up their kills.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026

Definition of parody

Verb

Nevin remembered the songwriter as a melancholic genius, and insisted that Foster did not merely caricature Black Americans but used their vernacular to convey universal themes.

— David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
The edge, as well as the humor, were in the sketches themselves — sometimes caricature, sometimes commentary, sometimes both.

— Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026

Definition of caricature

Noun

The winning numbers for Friday’s Mega Millions lottery drawing are 22, 34, 45, 48, and 55.

— Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 18 July 2026
The maximalist space is filled with art pieces big and small — drawings taped up, random plant pots and street signs, scrap-metal sculptures and realist paintings.

— Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026

Definition of drawing

Noun

The withdrawal is concerning for Oseman, who has faced increasing censorship efforts around her comic since the show’s release.

— Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026
Utopia follows a group of nerds who discover a comic has been predicting historic events and accidentally unmask a shadowy conspiracy.

— William Worrall, Space.com, 15 July 2026

Definition of comic

Noun

For a few hours, the disappearance was fodder for office jokes, Mélanie Brinbaum, Nestlé’s European head of marketing and consumer communications, tells Fortune.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 20 July 2026
Poor Sirs Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are back in the mix, reprising their X-Men roles, and somehow, Channing Tatum is Gambit, like, for real and not as a joke.

— Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 20 July 2026

Definition of joke

Verb

That was the case for the family of Lê Thị Xuân and Yoshiharu Shimizu (whose Vietnamese name is Nguyễn Văn Đức), who had two sons and one daughter, pictured above.

— Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
The England international was instead pictured on a training bike at Manchester City, with his loan move having expired at the start of the month.

— Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 14 July 2026

Definition of picture

Browse Nearby Words

cartons

cartoon

cartooned

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“Cartoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cartoon. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of cartoon

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

webtoon

'Cartoon': Not Just For Kids

Tulip/Turban, Cloak/Clock, & 8...

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