CLOWNS Synonyms: 211 Similar and Opposite Words

clowns 1 of 2

noun

plural of clown

as in harlequins

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

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as in bastards

a person whose behavior is offensive to others you should stay away from that clown

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

clowns

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of clown

as in mimes

Related Words

as in horses around

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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 clowns

Noun

The excessiveness of Ken Russell, Joe Coleman, Tasha Tudor, clowns, migraines, Priscilla Presley, and the Winchester Mystery House. — Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026 Circus of the Damned — An evil ringmaster tries to restore his cursed carnival with a new cast of clowns. — Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 8 Sep. 2026 Yusef Toubassi sits with his grandson Masa, looking on as children run by with cheeks painted bright colors and others howling with joy as clowns spin them around. — Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug. 2026 One morning during my stay, there were even clowns buzzing about—a thrill to receive a balloon poodle alongside my morning flat white. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026 Perhaps most astonishingly, the movie manages to make creepy clowns — that shopworn trope — genuinely frightening again. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026 Hang out with sheep, meet magicians and clowns and explore the amusement park. — Cole Premo, CBS News, 29 June 2026 The only leaders more buffoonish and lethal than the fairground hucksters elected in our failing democracies are the omnipotent clowns of tyranny. — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 The island village is beset by sea hags, serial killers, creepy clowns and other evils that interfere with Tom’s dream of turning Widow’s Bay into a Martha’s Vineyard-like tourist destination. — Alison Herman, Variety, 17 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clowns

Noun

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
But times have changed, and this team of buffoons is forced to grapple with changing industry ethics and sensationalist journalism in its transition, all while Ron faces an identity crisis that challenges his bravado, his massive ego.

— Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025

Definition of buffoons

Noun

Lee and his Burning co-writer Oh Jung-mi resist what might have been the first instinct of many filmmakers by refusing to make Ye-ji and Sang-woo overly patronizing rich jerks.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
The Ars OpenForum is a place for readers to ask questions, compare notes, argue (without being jerks to each other), and go down all sorts of rabbit holes.

— Eric Bangeman, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of jerks

Verb

The track apes the softly anthemic approach of U2, Coldplay, and the National—until all of that elegant uplift topples like an overly ambitious wedding cake.

— Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
But if getting Andy back in the Runway fold feels a lot like getting her into it in the first film, that feeling will only persist, as the sequel apes the original feature nearly beat for beat, with some small swaps here and there.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026

Definition of apes

Verb

According to McGrady, the only royal who didn’t enjoy the time away in the Highlands was the late Princess Diana, who didn’t fit in with the family’s outdoorsy vibes and didn’t enjoy riding horses around the property due to a fall as a child.

— Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
Ortiz navigated past 17 other horses around the final turn and made a hard charge down the stretch.

— Stephen Whyno, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026

Definition of horses around

Noun

Plus, those dogs checked the pipes far more often, making the entire fab safer for everyone.

— Pat Gelsinger, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026
PetMD recommends skipping the fancy labels and instead choosing shampoos that are pH-balanced for dogs and targeted to actual skin and coat needs like dryness, shedding or itching.

— Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of dogs

Verb

The new congressional map in Virginia effectively cuts up the state’s 11 House districts to give Democrats an advantage in 10 of them.

— Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
How to Prune Viburnum Use sharp hand pruners for smaller cuts up to the diameter of a pencil, and loppers or a pruning saw for larger cuts.

— Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 2026

Definition of cuts up

Noun

The smart kids, the shy ones, the jokers and the loners — every one of them is caught in the pyroclastic flow of adolescence, every minute a negotiation between fitting in and standing out.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
The jokers Toth and Jackson, bless them, keep things endearing and funny.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026