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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 deadpan
One of his most recent curatorial successes, a 2023-24 retrospective of Ed Ruscha, known for his deadpan wit, received praise from critics.
—
Zachary Small, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
In expressing their disbelief, people have been known to run away screaming or even burst into tears while Blaine maintains his deadpan, stoic facade.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 22 Mar. 2025
Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
Gonzales also has the right deadpan style to carry the tone of the books.
—Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Zachary Small, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
In expressing their disbelief, people have been known to run away screaming or even burst into tears while Blaine maintains his deadpan, stoic facade.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 22 Mar. 2025
Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
Gonzales also has the right deadpan style to carry the tone of the books.
—Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadpan
Adjective
-
The first Tron had played out as a series of face-offs featuring glowing figures against a black background, replicating the blank environment of an arcade screen.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
-
Wear it as a blank canvas, or switch things up with a statement belt.—
Catie Pusateri,
Glamour,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Or, is this high-profile loss, and others of recent vintage, for the middle lane of the Democratic Party due more to poor centrist standard-bearers (and enigmatic extremists) rather than the actual political positions themselves?—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2025
-
Outside of the players, the series did leave several survivors, including the game’s enigmatic overseer, The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who ended his time on the series by tracking down Gi-hun’s estranged daughter, Ga-yeong (Jo Ah-in), in Los Angeles.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Whether from the return of fasting or sheer exhaustion, players may become impassive.—
Jason Anthony,
The Atlantic,
14 June 2025
-
What To Know Several reporters tried to question Balmer as he was led out of the courthouse, but the suspect remained silent, only breaking his impassive stare by rolling his eyes upward into the back of his head and pushing out his tongue to cover his chin.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
But the drama can be very stolid, borderline dull at times.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2025
-
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 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share