1
as in harlequin
a comically dressed performer (as at a circus) who entertains with playful tricks and ridiculous behavior
a clown wearing big floppy shoes and a red wig
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
you should stay away from that clown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of clown
Lex Goldstein, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
The scariest clown in Hollywood history appeared on the streets of several major cities on Wednesday.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2025
Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
The pie shoved in Anthony’s face by his lover, Giuseppe, felt like a neat distillation of how crudely the series seemed to clown its characters, week after week after week.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clown
Noun
Bebe Rexha poses with some freaky clowns at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood on October 19.
—Lex Goldstein, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
The scariest clown in Hollywood history appeared on the streets of several major cities on Wednesday.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
Cue Pennywise's menacing laughter and our first glimpse of the killer clown behind his signature red balloon.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
The pie shoved in Anthony’s face by his lover, Giuseppe, felt like a neat distillation of how crudely the series seemed to clown its characters, week after week after week.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clown
Noun
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Learn more about management options and which food plants are most susceptible to this insect in our harlequin bug on vegetables web page.—
Miri Talabac,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Apr. 2025
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Pity the poor actor who has to co-star opposite a 150-pound harlequin Great Dane.—
Peter Rainer,
Christian Science Monitor,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Big Tech companies happily cash in on these ads, which often masquerade as public health alerts or urgent consumer warnings.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
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Hackers are using the messaging app Telegram and fake websites that impersonate brands to trick users into installing the malware, which will masquerade as popular apps, including TikTok, YouTube, and Google Photos.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The chicken, now cut up into small pieces at the lunch hour, soaks up the broth and packs an even more flavorful punch.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
30 Oct. 2025
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Guests ate slices of Chantilly sheet cakes from Whole Foods, which were cut up in the back and served with the rest of the desserts.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The two buffoons shave her head, chain her in the basement of a messy remote home and then accuse her of being an alien.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
22 Oct. 2025
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Best of The Bee: FBI’s Kash Patel blasts Adam Schiff as a ‘political buffoon’ via David Lightman California Legislature took aim at speeding up home building.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Dig into Caribbean jerk chicken pizza at Blackstone Pub downtown or savor a few slices topped with spicy meatballs and peppadews served with a waterfront view at Little Bridge Marina’s Pizza Kitchen.—
Jennifer Stewart Kornegay,
Southern Living,
4 Nov. 2025
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Gave the two jerks her very best.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Barrymore declared, before miming eating Anderson’s toes.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Oct. 2025
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The Beck-Page Yardbirds appear in that film, miming to the song at a rock club in a performance that culminates with Beck smashing his guitar.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Running or horsing around with sparklers can also cause injuries and burns when users trip and fall.—
Justin Laube,
EverydayHealth.com,
2 July 2025
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Heath Ryan, who represented Australia in dressage at the 2008 Olympics, can be seen in the video – which the rider said is about two years old – hitting a horse around 40 times.—
Matias Grez,
CNN Money,
13 June 2025
Noun
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The comedian, who performed on the sketch show from 2008 until 2017, offered his two cents on the recent cast shakeup during an interview with Entertainment Weekly.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
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The experience of working alongside his parents helped shape Ben as an actor and comedian.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clown. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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