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
Relevance
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
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 clown
Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 4 Jan. 2026
Six Flags Magic Mountain will fill the summer, fall and winter seasons in 2026 with an entertaining mix of Superman and Harley Quinn, Oktoberfest beers and Bavarian pretzels, killer clowns and blood curdling screams and Santa Claus and faux snow.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 31 Dec. 2025
Clio Chang, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2025
Stephen King novel that inspired two previous versions, one a TV miniseries with Tim Curry defining the evil clown Pennywise for the ages, the other a two-part theatrical release in 2017 and 2019, of which the first part was much better than the second.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clown
Noun
This design sits somewhere in between the vibe of a flashing paparazzi camera and a chic Halloween clown look.
—Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 4 Jan. 2026
Six Flags Magic Mountain will fill the summer, fall and winter seasons in 2026 with an entertaining mix of Superman and Harley Quinn, Oktoberfest beers and Bavarian pretzels, killer clowns and blood curdling screams and Santa Claus and faux snow.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 31 Dec. 2025
Verb
This was clown stuff in a city where, per a 2024 report, someone earning the average salary ($88,647) could afford only 5 percent of rentals on the market after factoring in upfront costs such as broker’s fees and security deposits.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2025
Stephen King novel that inspired two previous versions, one a TV miniseries with Tim Curry defining the evil clown Pennywise for the ages, the other a two-part theatrical release in 2017 and 2019, of which the first part was much better than the second.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clown
Noun
-
Rather than the usual crisscross pattern, Holmes’ sweater features solid block diamonds in bold colors for a harlequin look that is honestly a breath of fresh air.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In these respects, apart from the harlequin excesses of his Stalinism, Cowley is terrifically sound.—
Vince Passaro,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Rampant online burrowing into their internet pasts, and at least one author masquerading as Mel, have also been in the mix.—
Theresa Braine,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Custom-built by Wahlberg and designed by Richard Landry, the six-acre compound totals roughly 30,500 square feet and reads like a private resort masquerading as a house.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
24 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
By the third period, with his nose cut up, Kesselring was on the ice in the final minute of the game, helping to get it to overtime.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2026
-
To meet that goal, the grantmaker will cut up to 500 of its 2,375 staff positions by 2030, including some open roles that may remain unfilled.—
Stephanie Beasley,
Fortune,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The movie is like a version of Waiting for Guffman (1996) in which the Christopher Guest character was not a buffoon but an earnest striver with grit and (significant) talent.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Johnson delights in playing the role of lovable buffoon in the locker room, but his goofiness has purpose.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Drift through the crowd as the smell of smoky jerk chicken and grilled cheese mingles with fresh lumpia, vegan soul bowls, and small-batch kombucha.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The Store offers flavors such as buffalo, garlic parmesan, barbecue, sweet chili, Torrington Hot, mango habanero, Jamaican jerk, spicy harissa, lemon pepper, Marsala, spicy Mediterranean, Tunisian buffalo and garlic hot.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The clip features four male models — who look nothing like Catmen Anthony D’Amato, Mike Montali, Brian Dunne, and Don DiLego — miming their way through a performance of the song in Orson Welles-era black & white.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
21 Jan. 2026
-
At the snap, the three tight ends – Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen – mimed a run block, just for a beat.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In April 2020, Iglesias shared a video of him horsing around with Lucy and Nicholas as the pair attempted to climb on his back for a ride.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
-
At this point in time, my little AI company, a lean and mean group of passionate believers, is horsing around fine-tuning the product, living on a couple of angel investments, where a 10X return on few million dollars is very satisfying, not only to the angel, but also to the employees.—
Neil Senturia,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The comedian wore dangly diamond and pearl earrings and styled her hair in soft waves.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Wanda Sykes made sure that comedian Ricky Gervais — a comedian whose past material raised eyebrows and allegations of transphobia — shared his big 2026 Golden Globes night with a higher power and the transgender community.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clown. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
