1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in bastards
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
you should stay away from that clown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clowns
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026
From ringmasters and lions to clowns and mimes, everyone went all out with their party attire.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026
When Feld Entertainment unveiled a new edition of the circus with much fanfare in 2023, the only animal in it was a mechanical robot dog and while there was some comedy, traditional circus clowns were not a part of it.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
Fashion has long taken inspiration from the clowns, as my colleague Laird Borrelli-Persson noted.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2026
Performances and stunts are delivered by international acrobats and clowns during music and light shows.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
How did clowns become a protest symbol?
—Janet W. Lee, NPR, 5 Mar. 2026
And, yeah, it’s run by unworthy—the clowns are the best one.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2026
In front of him, idolatrous Republican lawmakers popped up and down to applaud like clowns in wind-up music boxes of old.
—Jackie Calmes, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
Plot details are being kept under wraps, though the film has been described as a four-quadrant coming-of-age comedy set in the world of funny and evil clowns.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026
From ringmasters and lions to clowns and mimes, everyone went all out with their party attire.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026
When Feld Entertainment unveiled a new edition of the circus with much fanfare in 2023, the only animal in it was a mechanical robot dog and while there was some comedy, traditional circus clowns were not a part of it.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
Fashion has long taken inspiration from the clowns, as my colleague Laird Borrelli-Persson noted.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2026
Performances and stunts are delivered by international acrobats and clowns during music and light shows.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
How did clowns become a protest symbol?
—Janet W. Lee, NPR, 5 Mar. 2026
And, yeah, it’s run by unworthy—the clowns are the best one.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2026
In front of him, idolatrous Republican lawmakers popped up and down to applaud like clowns in wind-up music boxes of old.
—Jackie Calmes, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 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
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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
Noun
-
Along with a fundraising walk, the event will include a pancake breakfast, live music, a vendor village, adoptable dogs and more.—
Point Loma-Ob Monthly,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Kinneman, who previously worked at a hemp cultivation in Oregon, knew CBD could help other dogs after first seeing improvement in his own wire-haired Weimaraner mix, Lucy.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Options laid out in an Interior Department study of new operating rules absent a seven-state solution envision Lower Basin cuts up to twice what the Southwestern states have suggested.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Indian satirists, cartoonists and comedians flocked to X, Instagram and Facebook to mock Modi.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2026
-
One of the top female comedians in the country holds forth at The Bushnell’s Belding Theater.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This was just the beginning of us young anarchists becoming judgmental jerks.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
7 Apr. 2026
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In the new sequel, Grace teams with her estranged younger sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton), as they’re hunted by four elite families full of murderous jerks scrambling to become the High Seat of a Council that controls the world.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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More importantly, this origin story of a movie and a movement apes the joie de moviemaking and the jazzy looseness of the original to an absolutely amazing degree, replicating an off-the-cuff feeling that’s more than a second-hand buzz.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
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There are high columns crawling with ivy, nearly 12 acres of rolling lawns, teensy windows with teensy shutters, and a diminutive pool house that apes a fairy-tale cottage.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Students are required to bring two full decks of cards including the jokers.—
Kris Slugg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The 166-piece set includes 36 dot, bam, and crack tiles, 12 dragons, 16 winds, 16 flowers, 10 jokers, and four blank spare tiles made from melamine.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Like most common garden pests, skunks are often misunderstood creatures.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
5 Apr. 2026
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Health officials in Oakland County reported that a resident was bitten by a skunk last Friday, which tested positive for rabies earlier this week.—
Eric Henderson,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clowns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clowns. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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