CLOWNING Synonyms: 115 Similar and Opposite Words

clowning 1 of 2

noun

as in joking

wildly playful or mischievous behavior our coworker's clowning was distracting, but fun to watch

Synonyms & Similar Words

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clowning

2 of 2

verb

present participle of clown

as in masquerading

Related Words

as in cutting up

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 clowning

Noun

On paper, the script didn’t seem that funny, and the looseness of it all — the clowning, the lack of a traditional plot structure — seemed kind of slapdash. — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026 The clowning might be a little too effortful. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026 As the race unfolds in real time, there’s clowning, collisions, sabotage, surprises, comedy, chaos and more. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026 With an impressive ability to do accents and a background in clowning, Storrie is made for this. — Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026 The balance is also what clowning is. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026 There’s no grandstanding, no frantic clowning. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026 The clowning isn’t over just yet, though. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 13 Jan. 2026 As with older clowning traditions, the early American circus clowns were adults performing taboo acts to shock and delight other adults. — Time, 30 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clowning

Noun

Russell was mentioned in that speech, but in a joking way, playing off of how frequent Oscars director Glenn Weiss, who won for his role helming the 2018 Academy Awards telecast, had used his speech to propose to his then-girlfriend.

— Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
Arch Manning's joking comments at a news conference about a fake video of coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe erupted in controversy.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of joking

Verb

Union President Carrie Kyung said the plan includes cutting up to 18 English learner teachers and would affect at least two dozen schools.

— Jason Rantala, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
It’s aimed at tasks like neatly cutting up deli meats and cheeses at your picnic or campsite.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of cutting up

Verb

The novel was also partly epistolary, including segments of fictional court transcripts and news coverage created by King (who enjoyed mimicking different writing styles).

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Germany and the United States surpassed the United Kingdom economically, not simply by mimicking it but by taking its innovations further.

— NIALL FERGUSON, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of mimicking

Noun

Allow Yahya Abdul-Mateen II to clarify his remarks about Aquaman being the work of clowns with… some clownery.

— Jessica Wang, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2022
Chronicle Books In the world of clownery, tradition has long dictated that a clown must never steal another clown’s look.

— Constance Grady, Vox, 20 Aug. 2018

Definition of clownery

Verb

By the time of the witch trial, the sacred building stood stripped of its roofing and outer masonry—a fleshless skeleton; its giant west window glassless, miming a stone scream.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
Simmons celebrated by miming urinating, game footage shared by ESPN College Football shows.

— Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026