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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cartoons
Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Paper was scarce during the war, so the boy would roust himself out of bed early and intercept the delivery of newspapers and magazines, going at their blank margins with his pencil, drawing figures, cartoons, landscapes, whatever struck his fancy.
—Mark Rozzo, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
His books also included Laughing Matter — A Treasury of American Humor (1989), a collection of stories, cartoons, essays and scripts featuring Woody Allen, Russell Baker, Gary Trudeau and Garrison Keillor, among others.
—Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
So the whole success of the Tracey Ullman Show shorts were based on 15-second cartoons.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
Saturday morning cartoons created a special, quiet time for kids to feel seen and enjoy their own space.
—Alex Shoemaker, Parents, 6 June 2026
Americans of Kokopeli’s vintage are old enough to remember TV-watching as restricted by the times shows went on-air, by the channels their parents paid for, and by the public service announcements they were forced to get through during morning cartoons.
—Theo Belci, Artforum, 2 June 2026
The movie is clearly aimed at a certain audience who watched Saturday morning cartoons back in the day and, if their He-Man figure’s arm broke off, would use Faker as their resident Eternian hero.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 June 2026
That is why Amazon’s cartoons are less important as shows than as a signal.
—Maureen Kerr, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Noun
There were cartoons while dressing children, evening news while cooking dinner, and, before bed, families watched mutely as onscreen families laughed and talked.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Paper was scarce during the war, so the boy would roust himself out of bed early and intercept the delivery of newspapers and magazines, going at their blank margins with his pencil, drawing figures, cartoons, landscapes, whatever struck his fancy.
—Mark Rozzo, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
His books also included Laughing Matter — A Treasury of American Humor (1989), a collection of stories, cartoons, essays and scripts featuring Woody Allen, Russell Baker, Gary Trudeau and Garrison Keillor, among others.
—Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
So the whole success of the Tracey Ullman Show shorts were based on 15-second cartoons.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
Saturday morning cartoons created a special, quiet time for kids to feel seen and enjoy their own space.
—Alex Shoemaker, Parents, 6 June 2026
Americans of Kokopeli’s vintage are old enough to remember TV-watching as restricted by the times shows went on-air, by the channels their parents paid for, and by the public service announcements they were forced to get through during morning cartoons.
—Theo Belci, Artforum, 2 June 2026
The movie is clearly aimed at a certain audience who watched Saturday morning cartoons back in the day and, if their He-Man figure’s arm broke off, would use Faker as their resident Eternian hero.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 June 2026
That is why Amazon’s cartoons are less important as shows than as a signal.
—Maureen Kerr, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cartoons
Noun
-
History books of Hamburg Township, pictures, drawings, maps and more items from folks in the community are inside the time capsule.—
Alysia Burgio,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
-
Stanton represents Bonnie’s fantasy world as a bright dimension of pastel drawings and glitzy colors, whereas the Lilypad games are flat and uninspired.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Many of America’s busiest air traffic control towers still rely on paper flight strips to track aircraft movements.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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DiMaria says it can be grilled or pan-seared, then cut into strips or cubes for a main dish.—
Kirsten Nunez,
Martha Stewart,
20 June 2026
Noun
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Tiddes gave props to Paramount’s marketing department, which created a string of memes and myriad parodies on social media to lead the masses to Scary Movie.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
18 June 2026
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Yankovic has recorded parodies of songs by Madonna, Michael Jackson, Nirvana, Queen, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Eminem and many others.—
Sean Clancy,
Arkansas Online,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The Breadwinner star pictures the destination as the culmination of his career, according to a Wall Street Journal profile published on May 15.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
-
Miss Manners pictures your guests, looking forward to a pleasant evening with you, being confronted with your suggestions.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That meant weaving in comedy sketches, musical performances and choreography as well as clips that audiences had never seen before.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
15 June 2026
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The payoff was a bevy of remarkable oil and pencil sketches (a stunning oil study can be seen in the Olana exhibition) as well as paintings.—
Susan Tallman,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2026
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
Noun
-
Kuzovkov, who died of gunshot wounds to the head, chest and back, had painted unflattering caricatures of Putin, Kadyrov and other high-ranking Russian officials.—
Vanessa Gera,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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Can storytelling help move audiences beyond caricatures, outrage, and contempt?—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Among all the things that make Iliad Bookshop unique is the mural outside, depicting literary scenes and portraits of more than fifty authors and musicians like Charles Dickens, Sylvia Plath, Harper Lee, Pink Floyd and Tom Petty.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
19 June 2026
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Earlier works often centered on solitary women posed with the self-possession of royal portraits or religious icons.—
Jane Horowitz,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cartoons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cartoons. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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