clowned (around)

verb

past tense of clown (around)
as in horsed around
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior as a youngster he was always clowning around in the classroom

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clowned (around)
  1. cut up
  2. fooled around
  3. acted up
  4. showed off
Verb
  • One of the women was cut up and wearing a bathing suit while Kovalcik was shirtless.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Sporting Kansas City joined the vanquished Galaxy and Real Salt Lake on Saturday as LAFC cut up the last-place team in the Western Conference, 4-0.
    — Josh Gross, Daily News, 26 July 2026
Definition of cut up
Verb
  • Not too long ago, artificial intelligence was more or less a science project in which data scientists and developers fooled around with one-off small or test projects.
    — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Definition of fooled around
Verb
  • And of course, Peterson not playing would have made some wonder if the McDonald’s All-American’s hamstring had acted up again.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 Dec. 2025
Definition of acted up
Verb
  • And Field was there on Wednesday evening to cheer on her friend as Walker toasted Anonymous Content’s Emmy nominees this year and showed off his famous new digs at a historic Los Angeles address.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The designer showed off a cheeky chartreuse green bikini in a completely sheer cover-up that was held together with string.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of showed off
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.

Browse Nearby Words

clowned
clowned (around)
clownery
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Cite this Entry

“Clowned (around).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clowned%20%28around%29. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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