cartoons 1 of 2

noun

plural of cartoon
1
as in drawings
a picture using lines to represent the chief features of an object or scene a political cartoon mocking the state legislature

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in strips
a series of drawings that tell a story or part of a story reading the cartoons in the Sunday newspaper

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in parodies
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

cartoons

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of cartoon
as in caricatures

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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 cartoons
Noun
What readers are saying The conversation explores mixed reactions to the editorial cartoons featured in the opinion piece. — Edith Pritchett, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2026 Addams spent most of his career as a cartoonist for The New Yorker magazine, which published many of his Addams family cartoons, including his very first, in 1938. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026 But many companies have been racing to develop vehicles straight out of science fiction movies and cartoons, with a few already selling aircraft. — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026 The layout splits between a restaurant and a cocktail bar, with a listening lounge tucked into the back corner, whose walls come alive with flickering anime cartoons. — Jaclyn Degiorgio, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026 The character creator is impressive, too, with a huge number of unlockable outfits and accessories, as well as classic alien races from the movies and cartoons. — Brad Bourque, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026 The candle smells of cereal, milk and lemon and is intended to recall the days of watching Saturday morning cartoons and summer. — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2026 Ridicule and mockery are ubiquitous in industrialized societies, from political cartoons to social media. — Christopher Von Rueden, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2026 Robby stayed home, measuring the time between clusters of seizures in video games and cartoons. — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cartoons
  1. drawings
  2. strips
  3. parodies
  4. pictures
  5. sketches
  6. funnies
  7. caricatures
  8. portraits
Noun
  • Gallery visitors were careful not to step on the sprawling assemblage of photographs, drawings and artifacts scattered across the floor.
    — Jane Horowitz, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Wednesday’s Fantasy 5, Florida Lotto and Powerball drawings produced six big winners from two of the games, with the Fantasy 5 midday draw winner getting the most money.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of drawings
Noun
  • Test strips at facility are no longer in good condition or valid.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Use the scraper to cut butter, fold dough and nudge it into shape, transfer it from counter to plastic wrap, trim edges, cut strips, and, sure, scrape flour off your counter.
    — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of strips
Noun
  • The five stars teased the project with parodies of their characters in a promo video.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The name of the collection parodies the seriousness of the museum, even as the collection itself is the kind of thing that has traditionally gotten scant attention within actual institutions.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of parodies
Verb
  • Pawlikowski is also the director of the 2013 Ida, as well 2018’s Cold War, pictures that, like this one, deftly balance postwar Eastern Bloc realities with the truth that all humans strive for connection and belonging.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Roddy Ho is not written as physically fit in Mick Herron’s Slough House books, on which the Apple TV spy show is based — though the character certainly pictures himself that way.
    — Lisa de los Reyes, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of pictures
Noun
  • And so ensues a string of sketches that showcase Erivo’s comedic talents.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The couple first rose to internet fame through their popular YouTube channel h3h3Productions, which often featured Ethan and Hila in sketches and vlogs.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of sketches
Noun
  • Lowbrow sources such as Sunday funnies, B movies, and advertisements are present but are more diffuse, rarely coalescing into obvious quotation.
    — Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Definition of funnies
Noun
  • As is the case with most election cycles, the claims and counterclaims about the ballot measures being voted on in California this time around are largely based on caricatures of the measures themselves.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But Iñárritu’s caricatures become people in a way Kubrick’s don’t; as the bewildered President, for example, John Goodman is simultaneously grounded and theatrical in his presentation, recalling his best work with the Coen brothers.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of caricatures
Noun
  • His instantly recognizable graphic style, built on stark contrasts, bold colors and commanding portraits, has become a fixture of contemporary visual culture.
    — Chad Radford, AJC.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Landseer’s portraits of Dash on his own and with Victoria’s other pets show the dog as an older, calmer animal, his eyes imbued with a depth of feeling.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of portraits

Browse Nearby Words

cartooning
cartoons
cartridge
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Cite this Entry

“Cartoons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cartoons. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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