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
Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Quiñones often took inspiration from cartoons and comic books, painting dragons or, most famously, Howard the Duck.
—Paula Aceves, Curbed, 20 Apr. 2026
Politics, profits and fear have driven so many publications to stop using one of the most powerful communication tools available … political cartoons.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
Inspired by both the classic cartoons of the 1930s and gritty noir detective movies of the same era, the black-and-white, first-person shooter game stars Baker as the main protagonist, mouse detective Jack Pepper.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Groups like League of United Latin American Citizens, the oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States, declared Speedy a cultural icon and requested that his cartoons return to the air.
—Jared Bahir Browsh, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026
There are some surprise attractions too, from the Cartoon Museum, which documents the history of British cartoons, caricatures and comics, to the spectacular Byzantine-style Fitzrovia Chapel with its gold mosaic ceiling where King Charles recorded his Christmas broadcast in 2024.
—Siobhan Grogan, TheWeek, 7 Apr. 2026
For many, the experience recalls mornings spent waiting for school-day updates, passing time before cartoons or checking conditions while home sick — moments when the steady rhythm of the forecast was a familiar part of the day.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Join Yvonne Escalante and Lauren O’Connor-Korb who drew inspiration from the toys and cartoons from their childhood and how they are engrained in social constructs.
—Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
Because the images rotate at a screen-saver pace, my advice would be to focus on the preparatory drawings and cartoons, which are like sparks thrown off some great, beautiful machine.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Quiñones often took inspiration from cartoons and comic books, painting dragons or, most famously, Howard the Duck.
—Paula Aceves, Curbed, 20 Apr. 2026
Politics, profits and fear have driven so many publications to stop using one of the most powerful communication tools available … political cartoons.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
Inspired by both the classic cartoons of the 1930s and gritty noir detective movies of the same era, the black-and-white, first-person shooter game stars Baker as the main protagonist, mouse detective Jack Pepper.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Groups like League of United Latin American Citizens, the oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States, declared Speedy a cultural icon and requested that his cartoons return to the air.
—Jared Bahir Browsh, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026
There are some surprise attractions too, from the Cartoon Museum, which documents the history of British cartoons, caricatures and comics, to the spectacular Byzantine-style Fitzrovia Chapel with its gold mosaic ceiling where King Charles recorded his Christmas broadcast in 2024.
—Siobhan Grogan, TheWeek, 7 Apr. 2026
For many, the experience recalls mornings spent waiting for school-day updates, passing time before cartoons or checking conditions while home sick — moments when the steady rhythm of the forecast was a familiar part of the day.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Join Yvonne Escalante and Lauren O’Connor-Korb who drew inspiration from the toys and cartoons from their childhood and how they are engrained in social constructs.
—Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cartoons
Noun
-
By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.—
USA Today staff,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The home, newly staged for sale by Francesca Grace, is featured in the 2012 book Houses of the Sundown Sea, which documents the late architect’s vision through plans, drawings, and photographs.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Authorities deployed spike strips, but the suspect maneuvered around them and kept going, leading police on a chase that lasted nearly 30 minutes before heading onto the Bay Bridge.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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Video shows officers deploying spike strips to stop the Honda, but the driver led officers on a nearly 30-minute pursuit through city streets and onto the freeway.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While the show featured many of the same characters, its format strayed from the sci-fi space narrative of Spaceballs and instead was a series of parodies, each episode serving as a satirical commentary on several contemporary hits, such as Lord of the Rings, American Idol and Harry Potter.—
Maddie Garfinkle,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
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Human artists have designed creative parodies of AI slop, but AI lacks the necessary self-awareness to parody itself, even with a human behind the wheel.—
Cath Virginia,
The Verge,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Whitman’s poetry and prose; Melville’s early romances of the sea, Typee, Omoo, and Mardi; three novels by Harriet Beecher Stowe, including Uncle Tom’s Cabin; and the complete tales and sketches of Nathaniel Hawthorne.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
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In past administrations, sketches of downtown concepts were drawn and put on a shelf.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The other women in the friends’ lives — primarily their mothers — don’t fare much better and are reduced to near-caricatures.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
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And in mainstream television, Latinos are very often caricatures.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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After all, no one pictures a futuristic city cloaked in exhaust fumes.—
Alex Hewitt,
IEEE Spectrum,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The photographer has even captured glamorous portraits of the Prince and Princess of Wales at state banquets, sometimes sharing a behind-the-scenes look at the white-tie events that call for ballgowns and tiaras.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
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One source speculated that the portraits of the Bezoses may have been inspired by Condé journalists openly dreading the prospect of the billionaires owning Vogue and having Sánchez calling the shots.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And every family has that annoying uncle that makes horrible jokes or one situation after another.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
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The pages restate themes and jokes, the same words on many pages, each with little iterations.—
Adam Moss,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cartoons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cartoons. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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