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
Her efforts as Venus’ conversation partner are described with the same deadpan matter-of-factness as Rika’s warehouse job, making the latter seem just as strange and unrealistic as the former—and vice versa.
—
Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
Fallon, in turn, gave Curtis a deadpan look as the audience laughed.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
Her efforts as Venus’ conversation partner are described with the same deadpan matter-of-factness as Rika’s warehouse job, making the latter seem just as strange and unrealistic as the former—and vice versa.
—Sarah Chihaya, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026
The film’s wry brand of sadness at times recalls the work of Aki Kaurismäki, although Covi and Frimmel rarely mimic the Finnish auteur’s deadpan style of humor.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
Fallon, in turn, gave Curtis a deadpan look as the audience laughed.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
Her efforts as Venus’ conversation partner are described with the same deadpan matter-of-factness as Rika’s warehouse job, making the latter seem just as strange and unrealistic as the former—and vice versa.
—Sarah Chihaya, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026
The film’s wry brand of sadness at times recalls the work of Aki Kaurismäki, although Covi and Frimmel rarely mimic the Finnish auteur’s deadpan style of humor.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadpan
Adjective
-
As Leland, a teen who kills his ex-girlfriend’s developmentally disabled brother, Gosling mostly stays blank and vacant; his unwavering reticence is required by Matthew Ryan Hoge’s script, which relies on a final reveal to justify its existence.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
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Both of these, like most of Madrazo’s male portraits, leave the background almost blank; by contrast, his portraits of women (such as Taft’s wife, Anna Sinton Taft) are more abundantly decorated.—
Benjamin Lima
Special Contributor,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The routine calls for this chic, almost expressionless vibe — very different from a typical K-pop performance.—
Billboard Korea,
Billboard,
26 Nov. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Much like the movie itself, the images captured by Jima on set are spare and enigmatic.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Spiritual Festivals in Ethiopia As one of the world’s earliest Christian nations, Ethiopia makes for quite the enigmatic travel destination.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Dressed in a blue sweatshirt and surrounded by court officers, Henderson remained impassive.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Now the piano has something to play against, slinking, leaping, whipping, and swiveling like an agitated shark in a tank of impassive harmonies.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In the Afrikaans world of my childhood, dancing often meant the stolid vastrap (tight-step), the terrible langarm (long-arm, a two-step that desperately wants to be a one-step), or, worst of all, volkspele (national or popular games), compulsory in Afrikaans-medium state-run schools.—
Jan Steyn,
The Dial,
10 Mar. 2026
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The Roosevelt, a stolid 19 masonry floors, can’t compete in this new game.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deadpan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadpan. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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