as in blank
not expressing any emotion
he delivered the joke in such a deadpan voice that we thought at first that he was serious
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deadpan
That all sounds like the workaday stuff of romantic drama, but A Big Bold Beautiful Journey—its script is by Seth Reiss, who co-wrote the 2022 foodie satire The Menu—takes some wacky swings, all presented with a deadpan flourish.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
Just like everything old that becomes new again, this generation has claimed Ortega’s dark, stoic, intimidating, deadpan take on Wednesday as their own—perfect Halloween costume material.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 18 Sep. 2025
Newhart — who is remembered for his signature deadpan style — died on July 18, 2024, following a series of short illnesses.
—Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
Coel, the boundary-pushing revelation from I May Destroy You, is a perfect foil, hiding Lori’s feelings behind her deadpan delivery, unblinking sphinx-like stare and wary body language but poised to shoot barbs when the moment calls for them.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
Just like everything old that becomes new again, this generation has claimed Ortega’s dark, stoic, intimidating, deadpan take on Wednesday as their own—perfect Halloween costume material.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 18 Sep. 2025
Newhart — who is remembered for his signature deadpan style — died on July 18, 2024, following a series of short illnesses.
—Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
Coel, the boundary-pushing revelation from I May Destroy You, is a perfect foil, hiding Lori’s feelings behind her deadpan delivery, unblinking sphinx-like stare and wary body language but poised to shoot barbs when the moment calls for them.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadpan
Adjective
-
The bad column was virtually blank.—
Jay Glennie,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Taasa looks at him in blank, exhausted disgust and then looks straight into the camera.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Bale ran to the corner of the pitch, and, having been an expressionless bystander for much of the evening, shouted in ecstasy.—
Hua Hsu,
The New Yorker,
21 Nov. 2022
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The company poured $10 billion into its Reality Labs division last year, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was criticized last week after posting a selfie that showed an expressionless version of his avatar in front of the Eiffel Tower.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
30 Aug. 2022
Adjective
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What’s more, Murnau and screenwriter Henrik Galeen transformed Stoker’s novel into an enigmatic fairy tale.—
Robert Eggers,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Oct. 2025
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And with a new and enigmatic Duke at the helm, Tintagel is also facing an uncertain future.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But the most spectacular aspect of Nuestra Tierra may be its use of drone camerawork, and the way Martel uses the unsettling stillness of a drone as the eye of an impassive god, looking down at the wrongs carried out by those on the ground.—
Vulture Staff,
Vulture,
23 Sep. 2025
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There are also plenty of promotional materials dating from the building’s launch, and in one video clip, Kurokawa sells the merits of the building to an impassive audience of smoking businessmen.—
Anthony Paletta,
Curbed,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But the drama can be very stolid, borderline dull at times.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2025
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Michelle DeYoung was a somewhat stolid Herodias, Piotr Buszewski a fiercely ardent Narraboth.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deadpan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadpan. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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